Electronic Heart Beatby Nightlock106ChaptersChapter 1: Let the Bass ThumpChapter 2: Hooves Held HighChapter 3: You're Gonna Go Far KidChapter 5: Your New Life Begins Today Sweetheart!Chapter 6: When the Lights Go OutChapter 7: Homeward BoundChapter 8: No More Sorrow Part 1Chapter 9: No More Sorrow Part 2Chapter 10: Making AmendsChapter 4: Bright Lights Big CityEpilogueChapter 1: Let the Bass ThumpI was five when I discovered my talent for mixing music. My dad had brought home a DJ booth and was trying to figure out how it worked. I wasn't sure what he was doing, I just sat there and watched. Then he walked away from it madder then hell. I got up from where I was sitting and walked over to the set, admiring every detail of it. I turned it on and began to use my magic to mess with the knobs and switches. The music was amazing before, but it became even greater. I danced around, holding the headphones to my ear and waved my free hoof in the air. My dad walked in with a stunned look on his face. "How did you figure it out?" he asked. "I don't know, I just turned it on and began to mess with the knobs and stuff." "Well, you have a talent for it!" he said, nodding to my backside. I turned and saw it. It was an eigth note right there where there was once nothing. I started to hop up and down with joy. I had finally gotten my cutie mark, and my parents couldn't have been any prouder. Later that year the school had a talent contest. It was too good to resist so I signed up. My friends thought that I was crazy, but I just laughed and rolled my eyes. "You guys are too funny." "Vinyl, you do realize that Glimmer has won the talent contest three years in a row now. And they say she's going to win it this year." "Whatever, I'm gonna show there aint nothing that Vinyl Scratch can't do." "Look if you are serious about this, you're going to need a stage name." "A stage what?" "A stage name, everypony who's in the music biz has one." I couldn't come up with anything at that moment. I started to pace around. I've never been to good with coming up with names. "How about Blasting Speakers?" "Already taken." "DJ Unrated?" "Taken." "I can't think of anything." "Hmm... how about. Um...hmm. I got it, how about DJ Pon3." "Are you sure, it doesn't sound all that good." "Well it's the best I could come up with. Take it or leave it." "Fine, fine. Jeez Octy, do you have to be so pushy?" I practiced as much I could, before bed time of course. But, I was determined to win, no matter what. And so three weeks later, the contest began. I was really nervous, and it was really obvious. "Are you okay, you look paler than usual?" "I'm alright Octy." "Look, just don't think about it, just get up there and make it your own," she said,pushing me onto the stage. "And now, our final act of the night. Put your hooves together for DJ Pon3." The curtains came up, and the applause was making me even more nervous. I looked around for a bit, trying not to pass out. The audience fell quite. I was still standing there. My mind was blank. Out of all the things I could have gotten, stage fright had to be the one for that night. I took a deep breath, shutting the fear out of my mind. I walked up to my booth, turning it on. The music started, and so did I. My magic was hard at work to twist and turn the knobs, flip and flop switches, and to keep me from falling over in fear. After I was done, I felt exhausted. I looked up from the booth. Everypony was completely silent. I looked to the ground in disappointment and began to walk away. Just then, the audience began to grow in ever increasing applause. I turned back to them, giving them a bow and standing there in their admiration. "It seems that we have our winner," said the announcer. "Ladies and gentlecolts, give it up for DJ Pon3!" I was stunned, I had never won anything in my life. I could see the headlines now, "DJ Pon3 Knocks Glimmer Right Out of the Water!". Maybe I was overplaying it in my head, but I didn't care. Because from that day forward, I knew. I knew that DJing was the thing that was going to make me famous. I was the talk of the school for a month, and it had gotten to my head. Everywhere I went, ponies were lining up to do whatever I told them to do. I had six of the smartest ponies doing my homework, I had the most popular colt in school as my coltfriend, and I was always the first to get my lunch. The fame was great, but it didn't last long. The thing about foals is, they can be extremely cruel. I had made the mistake of kissing one mare in the bathroom, and the word got around quicker than Rainbow Dash could fly. I was constantly picked on, beat up, and ran out of school. There were nights when I would cry myself to sleep. I soon became a truant, I would skip school all the time. Only going about once every three or four days. My mom would always blow the roof off yelling at me. And because of it, she saw to it that there was somepony there to keep me from leaving the building. It was a nightmare. But eventually everything died down and things got back to normal. Years had passed and soon I was in high school, and that's when I changed everything about myself. Before I had my signature blue mane and purple shades, I had a plain white mane and kept things like that away from my face. I was never allowed to dye my mane, but I decided that my mom wasn't the boss of me. I was walking home from school one day when I had passed by a hair stylist and decided why not. I walked in and sat down in the chair at the front desk. "Welcome to Lotus Pond, what can we do for you?" asked the mare at the front desk. "I'm looking to get my mane dyed," I replied. "Did you have a color in mind?" "Electric Neon Blue." "Wonderful. The treatment should only take about twenty minutes. Just go through that door over there and I'll be right with you." I walked into the room and sat down. I looked around at everything, there were posters of all kinds of hair styles and colors all over the walls. In the center of the wall I was facing was a giant mirror with pictures of Octy all over it. After she had graduated early, Octy went off to become a famous cello player. It wasn't long before she became the biggest name in the music industry. Everypony who was anypony had at least one of Octy's many albums in their collections. "Okay, time to get started," said the mare as she walked in. She began to work the dye into my mane. "So, how long have you been doing this?" I asked. "About thirteen years. I got to say, you get to see all kinds of hair when you do this for so long." "I'll bet you do. So, have you ever thought about doing anything else?" "Not really, I've always wanted to work on hair ever since I was a little filly. Though I didn't get the hang of it until I was seven. What about you, what's your special talent?" "I'm a DJ. I was five when I found out I could work the tables. I competed in a talent contest at school. I was the winner, beating out Glimmer who had won three years in a row." "That must have been great," she said rinsing the dye off her hooves. "It was, I was the most popular mare in school. That was until word got out that I kissed another mare in the bathroom." "Everypony can be way too judgmental. It doesn't matter if you somepony likes those of the same sex. It's just wrong for ponies to be treated that way," she said, turning the chair around and leaning my head over a sink. "Tell me about it. Just last year I told my friends I was a fillyfooler, and I haven't seen or talked to them since. I told my mom too, but she didn't care. She said I am who I am, and if others don't like it, the they could kiss my flank." That sent us both into laughter. "Well, looks like we're done here. Just dry your mane and use this conditioner to keep the color from fading too quickly. Come back in a few months and we'll do another treatment." I gave her the bits and walked home. "What in Equestria were you thinking?!" asked mom. "I was thinking that I didn't have to listen to you anymore. I'm my own mare." "Vinyl, you raise your voice one more time, and so help me Celestia I will kick you through the wall." "Try it," I said, grinning like there was no tomorrow. She didn't do anything. She turned and walked into her room, leaving me to my own devices. I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Though there was nothing really good on, I just needed something to drown out mom's crying. Three years ago my dad died, and mom's been going through extreme fits of depression ever since. I was depressed about it for the first year, but I came to accept the fact that nothing I did would ever bring him back. Mom remarried a year latter. My brother, Boombox, was born almost a year after she got married. But, soon she filed for divorce and had won the custody fight with my step dad over my brother. With mom the way she was, I was the only one around to take care of my brother. I wouldn't even be surprised if he grew up thinking that I was his real mom. Mom almost always left us alone, going Celestia knows where, and I had to make sure my brother had everything that he needed. Soon after I filled out the forms to drop out of school so I could take care of him. Mom had distanced herself from us and was no longer there. I heard my brother crying in his room. I got up from the couch and went to check on him. He was really cute, with is small face, small limbs, and little unicorn horn. "What's the matter, are you hungry?" I asked softly, picking up him and his bottle with my magical grip. He took the bottle in his grip and began to drink. "Your the only thing I have left in this world. You mean everything to me. I hope someday you grow up to be the best little stallion you can be," I said rocking him back and forth. He just stared at me blankly, still drinking from his battle. I couldn't help but to cry when I looked in his eyes. He tilted his head confused, "Momma?" "Your first word. I'm so proud of you, if only momma were here, she'd get back to her senses and become the mother that she needs to be." "Momma?" he said again. With a tear in my eye, I whispered to him, "That's right, momma's here. And I'm always going to be here for you." Chapter 2: Hooves Held HighIt had been three weeks since I had ran away from home, taking my little brother with me. I wasn't sure where i was going to go, or how I was going to get there, but all I knew was that I wasn't going to give up until this nightmare was over. With no bits on hoof, I was forced to sell myself to random colts just to get my next meal. It was a horrible life, but it was my life, and I didn't want it anymore. There were nights when I'd lie awake and think about ending it all. But then I would start to think about what might happen to my brother if I wasn't around. I would end up crying myself to sleep over the whole thing. It was an early morning when I woke to the sounds of my brother crying. I got out of bed and walked to his crib, "Shh, it's okay, momma's here." "What's that kid going on about now?!" asked the colt lying in the bed. "He's hungry, I'll take care of him. Just go back to sleep," I said, using my magic to grab my brother's bottle. After about ten minutes, he fell asleep in my hooves. I laid him back in his crib and went back to sleep my self. "Why do you even bother with him in the first place? He's nothing but trouble." "He's my brother. Mom was too far gone into her own little reality to even take care of him. If it wasn't for that, your sorry ass wouldn't have gotten what you did last night." With nothing more to say he went back to sleep. I kept lying there, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what life would be like if mom cared about us anymore. "Mom, Boombox is crying, can you check on him?" I called from down the hall. "Mom? Mom are you even listening. Check on him please, I'm really busy." She didn't answer. She never did anymore. It was if we didn't even exist to her anymore. I got up from the toilet and went to his room. He was screaming his head off for somepony to change him. I grabbed a clean diaper from his baby bag and changed him. "What did you say Vinyl?" mom asked as she entered the room. "It's taken care of now. No thanks to your sorry ass." "Don't you take that tone with me young lady." "Fuck you. For the past few months, me and Boombox have meant nothing to you. You're always off in your own little world, doing Celestia knows what, to even care enough to take some responsibility for your own two kids." "Is that what you think?" "You know damn well that's what I think!" "I work my hooves to the bone trying to keep a roof over your head, food in your stomachs, and clothes on your backs. And this is how you repay me?!" "You lying bitch, you don't do shit for us. You expect me to believe that you care, because I don't. You can fucking die for all I care." Those were the last words I said to her. The next morning, I went to the train station in order to get tickets for me and Boombox to go to Ponyville. "May I help you?" asked the mare behind the counter. "Two tickets to Ponyville please?" "That'll be 150 bits." I handed here the money and got on the train. It was about two days later that we arrived in Ponyville. It was a quite town, everypony knew each other, and nopony judged you for who you were. It was the best place for me to call home. I was walking down the street, gawking at everything I saw. Everything was beautiful. The items at the shops were hand made, the ponies were very friendly, and best of all, I finally felt at home. I walked into this candy store called Sugar Cube Corner to get my little brother something sweet. "Hello dear, what'll it be for you?" asked the mare behind the counter. "Two chocolate chip cookies please?" "That'll be 2 bits. Who's the little guy?" "This is my little brother, Boombox. And I'm Vinyl Scratch," I said handing her the bits and grabbing the cookies. "I'm Mrs. Cake, I own this store, along with my husband." "It must be nice to have a real job," I said with excitement in my eyes. "You don't have a job?" "Well, let's just say that my jobs are only an hour long and not really all that fun." "Goodness, you can't mean..." "Sadly, it's true. My no good mother didn't even care about us. I ran away from home and began to sell myself in order for us to have something to eat. I had finally gotten enough bits to buy us train tickets to get here." "Where are you from?" "Manehatten, not really the whole 'City of Lights' everypony makes it out to be." "It must've been rough." "Tell me about it. Well, I don't want to waste any more of your time. I'll be going." "Now hold on a second. Do you need a place to stay?" "I don't want to be a burden to you." "It's no trouble. And plus, if we can handle Pinkie Pie's little antics, I'm sure you won't be any trouble." "Who's Pinkie Pie?" "She's a young filly who is staying with. She works at the shop as a means of paying us for letting her stay here." "Is she really that much trouble?" "No, no, she's not a bad child. It's just she sometimes goes a little overboard with things." "I think I can handle her. Thanks for the offer, I'll take you up on it." "Wonderful, just go up those stairs and your room will be the first door on the left. You'll be sharing a room with Pinkie." "Thank you." I walked up the stairs. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get a place to stay. I didn't even need to sleep with Mrs. Cake to get it either. I got to my room and pushed open the door, not prepared for what was going to happen next. "Hello, is anypony in here?" "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie. I saw you come in here from the window of my room. Then I thought to myself, 'What could be better than just watching her?' I decided that it was going to be really great to meet you. Now here you are, in my room. Hey, what are you doing in my room anyway? Well, it doesn't matter, you're my friend, and my friends are always welcome in my room. Who's this little guy? He's so cute," she said, grabbing my brother from my hooves. Then her face contorted as she handed him back to me, pinching her nose, "I think somepony needs a diaper change." I just laughed and took him to the bathroom. When I got out, I walked back into our room and handed him back to Pinkie Pie. This was the first time I've ever seen Boombox this happy before. "So, what's his name?" Pinkie asked. "Boombox, and I'm Vinyl Scratch." "It's nice to meet you both. Goochie goochie goo." I gave her a smile, laughing with her. "So, what brings you to my slice of happiness?" I explained to her everything that I went through; how mom didn't care for us, how I ran away from home, selling myself to have a place to stay, and how I ended up staying here. "That had to have been really hard on you." "It was." "Well, no need to worry anymore. You got ol' Pinkie Pie here to look out for you." "Thanks," I said, giving her a hug. I got too into the hug and I ended up giving Pinkie Pie a passionate kiss on the lips. "WOW!" she said in surprise as I pulled away. "I-I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what got into me." "Hey, it's fine. I actually enjoyed it. You have just now become my first kiss." "Look, don't tell anypony. I don't want anypony to know that I'm a fillyfooler." "It's fine, I'm a fillyfooler, and you don't see me getting chased out of town." I laughed. "Vinyl, nopony's going to judge you for who you are. All they care about is that you are comfortable enough with telling them. It shows that you trust them enough to open with them." "Um...Pinkie." "Yes?" "I know that we've only known each other for a little while, but, I feel like there is more than just a friendship connection between us." Pinkie leaned in and gave me another deep kiss. "I feel the same way," she whispered in my ear. We kept kissing the night away. It was the best feeling that I could have ever imagined. This is what true love felt like, and I wasn't about to lode that feeling. Chapter 3: You're Gonna Go Far Kid"Vinyl, can you and Pinkie help me move these crates into the store, please?" called Mr. Cake. "Sure thing, c'mon Pinkie." It has been three days since I moved into the Cake house. And I've been having the best time in my life. It had been ages since I last felt this kind of happiness. I didn't mind the work. Sure it was hard, but it beat out being in some motel room on my back. They didn't mind me staying. I was a hard working and respectable mare, never complained too much, and kept Pinkie Pie in line. Pinkie and I had grown quite fond of each other. We had a lot in common, our hobbies, taste in music, things to do on a Friday night. We eventually became marefriends, and I couldn't have been happier. She was a lot like me, random, funny, and always down for a party. "Thanks girls, I don't know what I'd do without ya," said Mr. Cake as we got the last of the crates into the store. "It's no trouble Mr. Cake. I'm so really-super-extra excited to help anypony. Isn't that right Vinyl?" "Right," I said, trying to catch my breath. The thing about me and Pinkie is, when we start working, we get competitive. We had a contest to see who could carry the most crates in at one time. She lifted ten of them up without breaking a sweat. I could barely manage five. Remind me to hit the gym later. "I need you girls to do one last thing," Mr. Cake said. "What is it?" Pinkie asked with excitement. "I need you two to take this cake to Sweet Apple Acres for Applejack's birthday party. When that's done, give me a call here and you can have the rest of the day off." "Thanks Mr. Cake," I said, grabbing the cake with my magic. "You are gong to love my friend Applejack, she's sooooo amazing." "What's she like?" "She's a country gal, hard working, honest, and a very dependable friend." "Sounds nice." We arrived at Sweet Apple Acres in no time. I looked around. Apple trees as far as the eye could see. "What is it they do here again?" "They grow apple trees and make some of the most delicious apple treats in all of Equestria." "Well howdy there Pinkie Pie," called a young filly. "Hey there Applebloom." "Who's your friend? Or is she your marefriend?" "Applebloom, I'd like you to meet my marefriend, Vinyl Scratch." "Yo." "Nice to meet you Ms. Scratch." "Please, call me Vinyl. Ms. Scratch makes me sound old." She laughed then looked up giving me a warm smile, "So what brings y'all here?" "Mr. Cake sent us to deliver your sister's birthday cake. Where is she anyway?" Pinkie explained. "She's in town getting some parts for our wagon. The thing lost a wheel again. Well follow me to the barn, you can set the cake down in there." she led us to the barn and we stepped inside, "Just set the cake on the table over yonder." "Pinkie, I'll be right back, I'm gonna go call Mr. Cake." "We don't have a phone here." "Oh?" "Granny says that in her day, they didn't have them fancy technological devices to talk to people." "It's okay Vinyl, you can use my cell," Pinkie said tossing me her phone. I stepped outside and made the call. How it is possible for us to use these things is beyond me. I stepped back in when I finished the call, tossing Pinkie her phone back. "Applebloom, there you are." called a voice from behind me, making me jump out of my skin. "What do you need Granny?" "I need you to go get yer sister, the party starts in an hour. Also I have bed news." "What is it?" "That darned DJ quit on us. Says he has more important things to do." "How are we going to have the party without music?" "Um... if you guys need a DJ, I'm more than willing to help." "You're a DJ?" Applebloom asked in excitement. "Why else would my name be Vinyl Scratch?" "Well, we don't have any money to pay ya with." said the old mare. "It's fine, I'm always happy to help my friends without anything special in return." With that Applebloom rushed off to get her sister, and more party guests were starting to arrive. It was great meeting all these new ponies. The ones that stood out the most were Pinkie's friends, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. It surprised me to find out that Pinkie and her friends are the famous Elements of Harmony. I was star stuck, I began to ask them all kinds of questions. I talked a mile a minute, that was until the big announcement. "QUIET EVERYPONY, SHE'S COMING!" With that, everypony fell silent and hid themselves. The door opened and they stepped in. "SURPRISE!" yelled everypony. "Fer me, y'all shouldn't have." "C'mon eveypony leeeeeeeeeeeeeeet's PAR-TAY!" I dropped a record onto the tables and got into the zone. Everypony was enjoying themselves, even old Granny Smith was dancing her tail off. That was the start of the best music career I could have ever had. Later in the party, a stallion walked up to me. "What's your name sweetheart?" "I'm not into stallions." "That's not why I'm asking, I can assure you." "Well then, I'm Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon3." "I'm Gold Star, owner of the famous Aftermath Records. I saw you DJing and I wanted to know if you wanted a career in show business." "You mean you are the Gold Star. Your record company has my favorite artist in your recruits, DJ UnRaTeD." "Sure do." "Where do I sign?" He pulled out a contract from his briefcase, "Just sign on the dotted line." I took the quill from him and signed my name. "Perfect, send us a demo in two weeks, and we'll take it from there. You're gonna go far kid." With excitement I ran to Pinkie Pie and gave her a kiss. "What's got you in such an excited mood?" "My music career has just got it's kick start." After the party, I went home and began to record my demo album. I called DJ Pon3's Kick Start, go figure. I finished the recording in one week and sent it in. Now all I had to do was wait. Three weeks later, a letter came to me in the mail. "What's it say?" Pinkie asked looking over my shoulder. As I finished reading the letter, I began to hop up and down with joy. "I GOT ACCEPTED TO AFTERMATH RECORDS!" I shouted. "That's great." "What's with all the yelling girls?" asked Mrs. Cake as she and Mr. Cake walked into the room. "Vinyl got a record deal with Aftermath Records." "That's wonderful dear, I'll go bake a cake to celebrate," said Mrs. Cake as she left the room. "Did the letter say anything else?" Pinkie asked. "The only other thing it said was to be in Canterlot by next week." An hour passed and the celebration was on. I got out my equipment and began to play the music from my album. After the party, Pinkie and I had a little "celebration" of our own. And it was the best party out of them all. Chapter 5: Your New Life Begins Today Sweetheart!Neon and I got off the elevator and walked to Gold Star's office in awkward silence, our gazes occasionally meeting, only to divert back to the floor. This wasn't right, I haven't even been in Canterlot two hours and I've already cheated on Pinkie. But, I've never felt this away about a stallion before. I didn't know what had attracted me to him. Could it have been his deep blue eyes that glistened in the light, or maybe his spiked gold mane that was in perfect contrast to his storm cloud colored coast, or perhaps it was his smile and warm personality. I wasn't for sure what it was, but it was there. "Well here we are," Neon said, as he knocked on the door. "Who is is?" called a voice from inside. "It's UnRaTeD, and I also have young Vinyl here with me." "Come on in, the door's open." Using his magic, Neon opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I blushed and walked in. "Well now, if it isn't the famous DJ Pon3!" Star said, giving my hoof a firm shake. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm famous yet," I said, blushing even brighter from the praise. "You are, everyone in this building has been talking about you non stop. They just love your music." My face was redder than the apples back at Sweet Apple Acres. "Well, lets get down to business, shall we? I want to sign you to this company for three years to start. You will be making about 500K bits each year, plus 55% of all album and merchandise sells. But, there are some things that we require from you." "Such as?" "First off, you must sign a few forms giving us power of attorney, meaning that when it comes to financial decisions we have the final say on it. You must also sign a form stating that we have the rights to anything you produce under contract, and any use if the material after your contract is expired is prohibited by law without our permission. Other than that, there is nothing more." I took a few minutes and thought everything over. I had no idea what half of that meant, but I didn't bother with any of it. There was only one thing left to do, "Where do I sign?" Star grabbed a few form from his desk and sat them on the table, "Just sign on the dotted line here. Initial here, here, and here. And finally sign here." I frantically sign all the forms that he handed me and handed them back to him. "Perfect. I see big things in your future. Your new life begins now Sweetheart." It was about midday when I found myself in an interview room, preparing to make my first out of many television appearances. Today I was going to be interviewed by none other than the famous, Sunlight Flare. I looked around the near empty room nervously. A mare came in and brought me a bottled water to calm me down. "First time for this huh?" she asked. "Yeah." "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just answer the questions honestly, don't be afraid to let people know who you are, not who others want you to be." "Thanks." Just then a stage manager walks into the room, "Your on in one minute Ms. Scratch." "Better start making your way to the stage," said the mare. "I'm still kind of nervous." "Just remember my advise and you'll be fine." With a deep breath I walked to the stage. I could feel my knees shaking like crazy. I took a few more deep breaths before I heard the camera mare call out, "We are live in five, four, three, two." There was ear blasting applause coming from the audience. "Welcome everypony to the Sunlight Flare show. Our first guest is an up and coming music artist from Manehatten. Please put your hooves together for Vinyl Scratch." I took a final deep breath and walked onto the stage. I smiled and waved to the audience as I made my way to my seat. "So, Vinyl, how are you doing today?" "I'm a little nervous. This is my first time on television." "I know how that feels. It may not seem like it, but I'm actually a little nervous myself. So, you're from Manehatten, correct?" "That's right. But, I moved to Ponyville not too long ago." "What was it like in Manehatten." I slumped down in my chair, "Well to be honest, it was a living hell." "How so?" "Well, my mom didn't even care about me or my baby brother, Boombox. She was too far in her own little world to even know that we existed. It eventually got to the point where I couldn't stand it any longer. So I ran away from home, taking my little brother with me. We were living on the streets for a while, with the only source of money coming from me being on my back all day." There was a gasp from the audience. "You mean you sold yourself to have money to take care of yourself and your brother?" "I never planned on doing it, but if I didn't, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I'd be six feet deep, that is if anypony would have cared enough to look for my body. But, anyway. I was saving up some money so my brother and I could move to Ponyville. I got a job with Mr and Mrs. Cake who run the candy store over there. They were even kind enough to take me and my brother into their home. Not a day goes by that I don't think of how kind they were to me, even though they had no clue who I was or didn't even have to. I also met my marefriend Pinkie Pie, who also lives in the Cake's house, as well." "So, you're a fillyfooler?" "Yeah, and I'm not afraid to say it either." The audience exploded with applause. "Anyway, me and Pinkie had a lot in common, so it was no wonder that we ended up together. She is a handful at times, I'm not gonna lie, but I still love her with all my heart. I hope that she's sitting at home now watching this," I said, waving to the camera. "So, what got you into music?" "Well, when I was little my dad brought home a DJ set. He couldn't get it to work right. When he left the room, I began to mess with it, and that's when I discovered my talent for mixing music. Not too long after that, I had my first taste of fame. I competed in the school talent contest. I managed to beat this filly who had won three years in a row. But, the glory didn't last long. Soon after, I had my first schoolyard love. Her name was Scarlet Rose. We were kissing in the bathroom, when there was the flash of a camera coming from a stall. We didn't pay much attention at the time. But soon after, the school paper's cover story was about me and her being fillyfoolers. She ended up leaving me, breaking my heart into nothing more than dust." "That must have been rough on you." "It was a nightmare." "So when did you first get discovered by Gold Star?" "I was DJing at my friend AJ's birthday party. When it was all over he walked up to me and gave me his card. He told me who he was, and I signed an application form. A week later I sent in my demo CD for his approval. Another week later, I got the letter in the mail, and now I'm an official member of the Aftermath family." "Well, I hope everything goes well for you. I expect big things from you." "You wont be disappointed." "Give her one more round of applause." The crowd went wild. I got up from my seat, gave Ms. Flare a quick hug, and walked off into the limelight that I will soon call home. Chapter 6: When the Lights Go OutNight, inside a club, me on the stage and the music blasting loud. Ponies dancing without care of anything. Time seemed to stop just for me, allowing me to enjoy this moment. I was in the spotlight, enjoying every second of it. My mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and my body was on autopilot. After the show I was met by Neon and Star. I walked up to Neon and gave him a passionate kiss, pulling away with lust in my eyes. Star interrupted us, "You killed it out there. You are the kind of talent that Aftermath is all about!" His phone began to ring, "Hold that thought for a second. Hello." As he walked off Neon pulled me closer and gave me another passionate kiss, "You were amazing. I enjoyed every moment of it." "Thanks baby, I wish you could have been up there with me, it would have made me less-" I began when my phone began to ring. "Pinkie?" "Yeah. Could you?" "It's fine, I'll be right here when you get back." I gave him a quick kiss and ran to the bathroom. I answered the phone, "Hey Pinkie, how are you?" "I'm so super duper happy. You?" "I'm fine, how's my little brother doing?" "He's doing really great, he's playing with the twins right now." "Sounds great." "It is, so how'd the show go?" "It was amazing, everypony was on the dance floor and going wild." "That sounds soooooooo great," she said with a cute giggle. I giggled back, "hey, I have to get back to the hotel. I'll call you later, okay?" "Okay. I love you." My blood began to run cold. With a slight tremble in my voice, I replied, "I love you too." I walked back to where Neon was standing. "Are you okay, you seem kind of distracted?" "It's just-" "You feel like you are betraying her?" I gave a slight nod. He leaned in to give me a kiss, but I put my hoof up, "C-can we just head back to the hotel?" He sighed and cast his gaze to the ground. With a turn of his head he walked out of the building, me following close behind. It was around two in the morning when we got back to the hotel room. I sat on my bed and stared out the window, watching the city fly past in a blur of movement and light. I felt guilty, I was lying to Pinkie about Neon, lying to Neon about how I feel for him, and lying to myself about what I truly want. "Are you sure you're fine?" Neon said as he sat next to me. "I'm fine," I said softly. "Look, if you feel this badly about it, then we can end things between us." I quickly turned to face him, "No! It's just, I'm not exactly sure what I want. I love you a lot, but I also love her. I can't imagine my world without both of you." "Then why keep this charade going? You know that she's going to figure it out one day." "I know, but-" "It's hard for you to except the fact that you can't have one without hurting the other?" I didn't respond. How could I? He's right. I can't have both. But I don't want to lose either one of them. I just turned away and began to stare out the window. I felt Neon's soft lips caress my neck. I just sat there unresponsive. "I'm gonna go to bed," he said softly as he climbed in the bed next to the one I was sitting on. I laid myself back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling, letting sleep take it's hold on me. The next morning I woke to the sounds of Neon singing in the shower. He had a beautiful singing voice, even though this is the first time I've ever heard it. I walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, looking into my reflection. "You're up early," Neon said walking out of the shower. I turned to him, "I didn't sleep very well. By the way, how come you never told me you could sing?" "You heard some of that, huh?" he asked, wrapping himself in a towel. "A little. It was beautiful." He began to blush, "Well, I usually don't sing in front of people. I prefer to let my sound tell the story, not my words." He gave me a kiss as he left the bathroom. I gave him a smile as he hut the door. I turned back to the mirror and began to stare at myself again, seeing all the lies and deceit that has been clouding my mind. I turned away and climbed into the shower, letting the water flow over me. "How is this my life?" I asked myself. "Why do things have to be so hard?" I sat on my haunches and began to cry, the water from the shower hitting me like the rain in a storm. I sat there for about half an hour when Neon walked and turned off the water. I just looked up to him with tear stains on my face. "The only way you're going to get over this, is if you come face to ace with it," he said, extending his hoof. I took a hold of it and he lifted me up, pulling me into his loving embrace. An embrace that reminded me that he will always there for me. Neon and I managed to catch an early train to Ponyville. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Neon asked, before stepping up to the train. "It's the only way," I replied. "You know what this could mean?" "I know, but it's just gonna have to be a risk that I'm gonna have to take," I said as we took our seats. "What if worse comes to worse?" "I don't know. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it." The train began to pull away from the station. "Even if it means loosing somepony that you love?" "It wont be easy." "It never is." "That's just the way life is. You wake up feeling at your best, but then life comes in and throws you a fork in the road. The only thing you have left to do is roll the dice and choose a path." "But what if the path comes to a dead end?" "Turn around and go the other way." "And if the other way doesn't work?" "You've lost the game," I said, staring out the window. We pulled into Ponyville in about an hour. We got off the train and went right to Sugar Cube Corner. I knocked on the door, and Pinkie answered with a huge smile on her face. "Vinyl, what brings you back to town?" she asked, giving me a hug. When she finally let go, I looked her the eye, "Pinkie, we need to talk." Chapter 7: Homeward Bound"Pinkie we need to talk." "About?" "There's something that I need to tell you, but I just... Can we step inside first? I don't want to make a scene outside." We stepped inside and went to the living room. I sat on the couch and Neon on a chair at the opposite end of the room. Pinkie sat down beside me, handing me my little brother who had the biggest smile on his face. I ran my hoof through his mane a few times and kissed his forehead. "So what did you want to talk about?" I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves for what was about to happen next. "Pinkie, while I was away, I...I..." "You what?" Pinkie said, looking at me with concern. I stared at her, fear filling every inch of my heart. How can I tell her? She was too innocent, and I betrayed her. What kind of a mare am I? I stood up from where I was sitting, gave Boombox back to Pinkie and ran out of the house. I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I couldn't bring myself to hurt her like this. I love her too much to tell her. My mind was clouded with fear, fear of losing the one I love the most, fear that the truth will rip us apart, and fear that the lies will consume me. I found my self huddling under a tree in the Ever Free Forest, letting the tears flood the ground as they fell from my face. You're pathetic, running from your fears when you should be facing them. How can I? I don't want to lose her forever. So you'd rather lose yourself in the lies? The lies are what's keeping me safe. Safe? Your lies are eating away at you from the inside, and you think you are safe? You're only hurting yourself if you let this continue. B-but... NO BUTS! You need to get it together and go tell her the truth. Because if you don't, you WILL lose her forever. Just then I felt something grab my shoulder, causing me to jump. I turned to see who or what it was. Pinkie was standing behind me, looking at me with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, her sweet voice only bringing me more pain. "Pinkie, I-I'm sorry." "For what?" "I'm sorry about all the lies. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt you." "Tell me what?" "I never thought that I could do something so terrible. But, I was too caught up in it all to even think about it." "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm here for you, and I always will be," her kind words were enough to send the sword into my heart. I couldn't respond. There was nothing that I could say that wouldn't hurt her. The tears began to drown me in my suffering, bringing on pain that I never wanted to have. I couldn't run from it anymore, it took a hold of me and it wasn't about to let go. I stood up once more, grabbing Pinkie, holding her close so I wouldn't lose her. She put her hooves around me, stroking my mane a few times to let me know she was still there. My tears fell on her shoulder, turning her coat a darker pink. My gasps rocking my body. I felt Pinkie's lips touch my wet cheek as she tried to comfort me. I broke our hold and wiped the tears from my face, "Pinkie, I'm sorry. I have to tell you now, or else it'll be too late." My gaze cast down to the ground, the words choking me as they came out of my mouth, "I cheated on you!" There it was, out in the open. My breathing was heavy, the world was still, and the silence was never ending. I could her a faint gasp coming from Pinkie, and I knew it was her time to cry. I looked up at her, her body rocking from small gasps, tears making their way to her eyes. I could feel the pain welling up inside of me. "Y-You..." The only thing I could do was cast my gaze back to the ground. I couldn't even face her like this. "How? After everything that we've been through." "I'm sorry," I whispered. She fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face. I sat next to her and put my hoof around her, only to have her push it away. I don't blame her for being mad at me. I know how it feels to be hurt by somepony you love. I just sat there with her as she cried, waiting for for her to stop. "I'm sorry Pinkie. I truly am." She just shook her head. "I understand how you feel." "N-N-No...y-you...d-don't" "I do, I've been where you are." "Y-You don't kn-know w-what it's like t-to h-have your heart sh-shattered by s-s-somepony." I jumped up from the ground, anger replacing my reason, "You think I don't know what it's like? I've had to grow up without even having a mother to care for me. I lived on the streets, selling myself to random stallions to make sure that me and my brother had everything we needed to keep going. And you think I don't know how you feel?" I stood there in shock. I just shouted at her. Her small sobs began to turn themselves into full blown cries, cries of fear, and pain. I sat back down, turning my gaze away from her, "I'm sorry." "J-Just go." I took a deep breath and got up from the ground. I began to walk away, turning back to get one last look at the one I loved most. With a tear in my eye, I left her there. I got back to Sugar Cube Corner an hour later. Neon was standing outside waiting for me. "Did you tell her?" I nodded, not even bringing myself to look into his eyes. "I know it hurts. But, it was either that, or keep lying to her and hurting her worse." I kept my gaze at the ground, tears filling my eyes yet again, staining my face as they fell. Neon walked over to me, I pushed him away, not wanting to have anything more to do with anything. "I know you feel bad right now, but trust me, you did the right thing." Neon and I left for the train station an hour after Pinkie got home. I didn't want to be there as a reminder of the pain I caused her. The walk was slow and painful, the sun setting over the horizon making things more gloomy. When we made it to the station, I stopped walking, letting Neon keep going until he noticed that I wasn't next to him anymore. He turned and stared at me, concern filling his eyes, "What's wrong?" "I think you should go back by yourself." "You've already tried to comfort her. There's nothing more you can do." "That's not it." "Then what is it?" "It's just something I have to handle on my own." "Whatever it is you can tell me." "I can't tell you, you're not a part of this. This is my story and you're not a part of it." He face turned from concern to shock, "So, the Vinyl I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is." He turned away and went on without me. I stood there, watching the train leave without it's last passenger. Once it was gone, I walked to the ticket counter, placing 150 bits in the counter and made my demand, "Manehatten, one way." Chapter 8: No More Sorrow Part 1I grabbed my ticket from the mare behind the counter and made my way to the train. I turned back and let out a sigh of misery. Casting my gaze down to the ground, I stepped onto the train. I handed my ticket to the stallion in the doorway and took my seat. I looked out the window at the pain filled town I called home. I placed my hoof on the window, finding my faint reflection transform before my eyes. Her face was there, smiling and happy as ever. With a tear running down my cheek, I bid my final farewell to the one I loved,"Goodbye Pinkie, I'm sorry for everything." I looked one more time at her face as it began to fade back into my reflection. The tears began to flood my eyes as I tried to hold them back. But it was no use, they ran down my face and fell onto the floor, pooling themselves into the shape of a broken heart. I sat there in the pain and sorrow, letting the tears pull me into the bottomless void of loneliness. The train rocked back and began it's journey to the darkness I never wanted to see again. I sat there looking out the window in silence, watching the rain form little pools as it landed on the glass. The train was lively; everypony was talking among themselves, soft music was playing in the background, and the atmosphere was on high. I let it all pass by in a blur, letting my mind go blank as her words bounced around my head. "J-Just go." That was the only thing I heard, the only thing I would hear, and the only thing I could hear. "And you think I don't know how you feel." I couldn't shake it. The whole scene was still playing in my mind. "After everything we've been through?" Did I really make the right choice? "I-I'm sorry." "You don't know what it's like to have your heart shattered by somepony you love." "This is my story and you're not a part of it." "The Vinyl that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is." "Just go." I jolted awake and looked around. The train was darkened, the music silenced, and the ponies asleep, save for one. I looked at the window, rain still lingering on the glass. "Why did this have to happen?" I thought. But there was no answer. There never was. I got up from my seat and walked all the way to the last car of the train. It was small and cramped, barely big enough for two or three ponies. I opened the door and stepped out on the outer platform. There was another mare standing on the platform and I walked up beside her. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked, looking out into the fields. "I guess." "I always love the look of nature after a storm." I didn't respond. "I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings." "I'm Vinyl." "You sound like you've got a lot on your mind." "It's nothing." She sat down at the table that was bolted to the platform, patting the seat next to her. I sat down at put my head on the table. "You thirsty?" she asked, pouring two mugs of cider. "I don't drink." "It's non alcoholic." I took the mug, "Thanks." "So what's got you so upset?" I placed my mug on the table, "I did something awful, and now it's cost me the one I love most." "What happened?" I told her how I fell in love with Pinkie, how I fell in love with Neon, and how I lost both of them when I confessed what I had done. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you." "I just got too caught up in the lies. They say that the truth hurts, but they never say how much it costs you." I finished my cider and got up from the table. "Thanks for talking with me, and thanks for the cider." "No problem. If you ever need somepony to talk to, you know where to find me." I went back to my seat and went back to sleep. "Where am I?" There was no answer. "Hello!" I called. There was crying coming from every direction. I followed the direction of the crying, finding a little filly sitting all alone in the darkness. "Who are you?" I asked. She just kept crying. "Are you alright?" She shook her head. "Can you at least tell me your name?" "V-V" I tilted my head, "V-V?" "V-Vinyl." My heart sank, "Why are you crying?" "B-because, I'm all alone. I have nopony to talk to." "You're talking to me." "I'm talking to myself." "It's still somepony to talk to," She just shook her head. Just then, I began to hear Laughter coming from behind me. I turned around and saw a young pink colored filly standing behind me. "Pinkie Pie?" She ignored me and skipped up to me, well, the younger me. She giggled and gave her a cute smile. My younger self smiled back, got up from where she was sitting, and began to hop along with Pinkie. The were really happy; laughing, skipping, and having the time of their young lives. Just then, the ground began to shake. A giant crack opened in the ground between the two fillies, separating them. The crack continued to open itself in my direction. I ran to avoid it, but it was faster than I was. The ground gaped beneath me, and I fell in. I jolted away again. Looking around, I noticed that everypony was getting up from their seats. "Final stop, Manehatten," said a voice over the intercom. I grabbed my things and got off the train. I was back in Manehatten, my home town that was filled with pain and misery. I walked to a phone both and flipped through the phone book. Once I found the number, I placed one bit into the phone and dialed. "We're sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please hang up and try your call again." I slammed the phone, cursing under my breath. With nothing better to do, I began to wonder aimlessly around the city. Everyplace I went, I'd get the occasional whistle or smack on my flank from the stallions I used to service for food. I ignored them and kept walking. I found myself walking into the local diner and sitting at a both. "Can I get you anything?" asked the waitress. "Just some coffee." "Anything else?" "No thank you." She walked away and brought me back a small cup of coffee. I gave her two bits and began sipping on the only bit of warmth that I'll ever know in this city. I was staring out the window, taking in the sight of the city that I used to call home. The buildings were still the same as they've always been, the streets as crowded as usual, and ponies busier than they'll ever be. Just then, a mysterious mare sat at my both right across from me. I turned to see who it was. My face went from a look of deep thought to a look of extreme joy. "Are you surprised to see me?" asked the mare. "More than you'll ever know." Chapter 9: No More Sorrow Part 2She smiled at me as she took her seat.I forced a smile back, hoping it wasn't obvious that something was wrong. "So what brings you back to Manehatten?" she asked. I looked down at my cup of coffee, stirring it with my spoon a few times. I took a deep breath, "I've just had a lot on my mind." "Things not going well with your music career?" I forced a slight laugh, "No, nothing like that." I looked back up to meet her gaze. She seemed to be picking up on the fact that something was wrong. That's the thing about Octy, you can never get anything passed her. I turned my gaze to what was going on outside. "If you don't want to tell me what's wrong, that's fine. I just want you to know that I'm here for you," she put her hoof on my reassuringly. I pulled my hoof away the moment hers made contact. She looked at me as if she'd hurt me, then she cast her gaze to the table apologetically. I wanted to say I was sorry, but couldn't bring those words to the surface. They would always bring back that painful memory. "I'm sorry." "You don't know what it's like to have your heart smashed by somepony you love." "J-Just go." "So, the Vinyl that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is." "You think I don't know how you feel." "J-Just go." "I'm sorry." "This is my story and you're not a part of it." "JUST GO!!" "Vinyl?" I jolted back to reality, whipping my head back and forth to see where I was. "Vinyl, are you sure you're alright?" I stared at her, the empty feeling of sorrow filling my heart. I got up from the table and left the diner. I began to wonder the streets aimlessly once again. I never planned to far ahead on anything. I continued to walk for what seemed like hours, until I bumped into somepony, falling to the ground. "Watch where your.........Vinyl?" said an all to familiar voice. I rubbed my head and looked up and the scruffy old mare, "Mom?" "It is you. I've been so worried about you and your brother so much." I rolled my eyes, "Like I'm supposed to believe you actually cared about us for a single second." She looked grimly to the ground, "You know I care about both of you. Why wont you believe that?" "Maybe because you were always off in your own little fantasy world while I fought to provide my brother with everything he needed." "You're still on that. I was out looking for a job so I could manage to keep both of you. You have no idea what it's like to be a single mother." "The hell I don't. I had to literally put my ass on the line so he wouldn't starve to death. You don't know how many hours I've spent laying back for some random stallion just to keep us alive. And where were you, off in some little world that will never exist. Face it mom, you've lost us. And we are doing far better off without you." As I turned to leave her where she stood, I was stopped by the sounds of her small sobs. I turned back around to find my mom sitting against a wall, her body shaking hard while she tried to hold back her tears. I began to feel guilty about what I had just done. It's bad enough I lost the mare I loved, but it's even worse to lose your family. I sat next to her and put me hoof around her shoulders. I pulled her closer to me, allowing her tears to fall on my shoulder. I stoked her mane and kissed her forehead, letting her know that I was still there. As I sat there, I began to think of what Pinkie looked like after I told her about what I did. My heart began to sink, and my stomach began to tighten with fear. "I'm sorry mom. I never meant to make you worry so much. I just thought that you didn't love us anymore." "Vinyl, you know I love you and your brother a lot. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I just had all kinds of things weighing me down and I didn't want to burden you with them." "Believe me, I know how you feel. I'm going through a lot of things right now." She looked up at me with a concerned and questioning look on her face. "Mom, when I ran away, I went to Ponyville. While I was there I met this mare named Pinkie Pie. She and I eventually became marefriends. While I was at her friends birthday party, the owner of Aftermath Records gave his card. Not long after I was accepted to be a part of their little family. Soon after I met this stallion named Neon. I eventually ended up with him too. Soon after I told Pinkie Pie about me and Neon. I've been dealing with the fact that I lost the one I loved ever since." My mom didn't say anything. "I came back here to try to clear my head, and hopefully set things right with her. But, so far, all I've done is make things worse." My mom got up form the ground, "Vinyl, you're still young. You have plenty of time to make things right. It's too late for me. I've lost the house, you and your brother, and damn near every bit to my name. I know you may not love me anymore. But I want you to know, that no matter what you do, just be who you are and nothing will be able to stop you." She extended her hoof to help me up. I grabbed it and pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her hooves around me as I began to cry on her shoulder. As she let loose on our embrace, she looked at me with a smile in her face, and a tear in her eye. "I love you mom." "I love you too." "I think I know what I need to do." "I just hope you set things right," "I will," I said as I let her go. "And mom..." She looked at me one last time. "I hope things turn out well for you." She smiled at me as I began to make my way back to the train station. I arrived with barely enough time to buy a ticket back to Ponyville and board the train. I looked out at the city I used to call home, this time with hope filled eye. As we pulled away from the station, I announced to myself, "I'm coming home." Chapter 10: Making AmendsI made it back to Ponyville the next morning, hoping that she would still be there. I got off the train and grabbed my luggage and ran off to Sugar Cube Corner. I had to get there before it was too late. I had to tell her that it was all my fault, and that I still want to be with her and only her. I made it to Sugar Cube Corner in no time. I took a few minutes to catch my breathe outside and walked in. I was greeted by a not so welcome wagon. Pinkie Pie and her friends were standing in the middle of the shop staring at me with cold and deadly eyes. I looked to the ground to avoid their gazes, hoping they wouldn't notice me anymore. "What are you doing back here?" shouted Rainbow Dash. I didn't answer. I didn't come here to talk with them, I just wanted to talk to Pinkie Pie. "Well? Are you just gonna stand there and ignore me, or are you gonna tell me why you're back?" she shouted, a bit louder this time. I looked her in the eyes, "I didn't come here to talk to you." "Did you come here to cause more pain?" asked Rarity in a harsh tone. "I just came here to talk to Pinkie Pie. Is that really to much to ask?" I said, half choking down a slight sob. "She doesn't want to talk to you. Not after what you did to her!" shouted Applejack. I just stood there holding back my tears, "I just want to talk, I'm not here to start anything with anypony." "It's a little to late to say that you don't want to start anything," Fluttershy said, using a slightly harsher tone than she wanted. I didn't have anything left to say to them. Nothing I could say would convince them that I want to settle our issue. I let out a sigh and grabbed my bags, leaving the shop with nothing more to say. I began to walk around the streets of Ponyville hoping to find an escape from everything. I found myself crossing the highest bridge in Ponyville over looking the small town below. The world seemed so much smaller from up here. I leaned on the side of the bridge and stared down to the small town. I stood there for what felt like hours until I heard somepony coming up behind me. I turned to see who it was, and to my surprise, it was Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, what are you doing here?" I asked, half hoping I wasn't imagining this. "I came up here to talk to you," she replied, an emotionless expression on her face. She leaned on the edge of the bridge next to me. I put my hoof around her, only to have it taken off my her. I really don't blame her for not wanting me to try to comfort her. We continued to stare off into the distance in an on going awkward silence. Our gazes occasionally met, only to divert back to the town. Even though there weren't any words, we both knew what was on each other's minds. I turned to look at her, "It's all my fault. I never meant for any of this to happen. I just got so caught up in everything that I didn't take the time to think things through." "Then why do it? If you can't think about the consequences, then why bother with the action itself?" I looked back to the town below, "I honestly don't know. If I could go back and take it all away I would." "I know you would. But what's done is done and cannot be changed." "Not a moment goes by that I don't think about what I did, and how much pain it caused you. And every moment I hope that I can make things right, but I know that nothing I do will make you forgive me," I could feel the tears streaming down my cheek. Pinkie turned to face me, "It's not that I don't want to forgive you. It's just hard to do so after you've lost my trust. I want to make things right as much as you do. But, you've got to show me that you're willing to so your part in all this." I looked at her, tears staining my face as they drop to the ground. There were no words anymore, there was only actions. I gave Pinkie Pie a nod to show that I understood what she said, and was willing to do whatever it took to get her back. "It'll be a long time before you fully earn my trust back, you know that right?" I gave her another nod. She gave me a light smile and wiped my tears away, "I do forgive you for what you did, but you have to promise me that you are going to do your part in making this right. You promise?" "I promise." She gave me a bright smile, "Let's go home." I picked my bags up off the ground and followed her to the small town that will forever be our home. Chapter 4: Bright Lights Big City"Mom, I'm home," I called as I entered our house. "Mom, you here? Hello?" I looked on the kitchen counter. There was a note, addressed to me no less. "Vinyl, I'm gonna be gone for a couple of days. Here's 200 bits and a list of things that need to be done. I'll be home soon. Take care of your brother while I'm gone. With lots of love, Mom P.S: There's some leftovers from last night in the fridge if you're hungry," "That's all I ever do, even when you're dumb ass is home," I said, completely ignoring the post script. I heated up the food and ate in silence. Why does mom always have to do this? She takes off and doesn't come back for a week. I hate her. I wish she would just die. My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of my brother crying from his room. I got up, leaving my food untouched. I walked into his room and got him out of his crib. "Shh, it's going to be okay. Mommy's here," I said, calming him down. He looked up at me and smiled. I began to cry, hold him in my hooves. I stood there crying until my eyes were hurting. Then came his soft innocent voice. "Momma, don't cry." It only made me cry even more. I woke up, still on the train to Canterlot. It was just a dream. I had left from Ponyville an hour before. "Pinkie Pie, I want you to look after my brother while I'm away," I said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I'll do my best," she said with a smile. "I don't know how long I'm gonna be gone, but I'll make sure to write every day." With that and one last kiss to her and my brother, I grabbed my things and got on the train. I waved goodbye as the train was pulling out of the station. Pinkie Pie trotting along, trying to keep up until she reached the end of the platform. I began to get tears in my eyes as I left. "Well Vinyl, this is the first step to reaching your dreams," I thought to myself. We arrived in Canterlot shortly after I woke. I got off the train and set my things down on the platform and took a look around. Canterlot has always been a beautiful city. The streets paved with gold, buildings that shined brighter than diamonds. In the distance stood the castle of Princess Celestia herself. A wonderful sight "Excuse me," I said, tapping a stallion on the shoulder. He took a look at me and turned his nose up, "May I help you?" "Do you know how I might be able to get to Aftermath Records?" He pointed to a small kiosk that had maps of the city on it. I looked at him and shrugged. Stuck up much? I grabbed one of the maps and made my way to Aftermath. It didn't take long for me to get to the studio. I stood at the door for a few seconds, taking in the sight. It wasn't as big as some the buildings in Manehatten, but it was amazing. It was painted red and gold, on each side stood the logo in shinning silver letters. I walked in the door and up to the front desk. "Excuse me miss," I said. "Yes?" "I'm looking for Gold Star, where might I be able to find him?" "Do you have an appointment?" "A what?" "An appointment." "No." "No appointment, no business. Have a nice day." "You don't understand, I sent him my demo CD a little while ago. Not long after I got a letter telling me to be here by today." "How lovely, now get out." I stormed out of the building, smacking my flank and sticking my tongue out at the lady at the front desk. She didn't react, other than just start typing away at her computer. I sat outside the building with nothing better to do. Minutes began to feel like hours., hours like days, days like weeks, weeks like...Well you get the idea. I waited outside that building for about an hour when a limo pulled up. The window rolled down, and the stallion behind glanced at me from behind his shades. "Are you Vinyl?" he asked. "Yes sir." "Welcome to Aftermath Records," he said stepping out of the car. "My name is Neon, but most ponies call me, DJ UnRaTeD." I began to get star struck. "Gold Star handed me your CD after he listened to it. I've got to say, you have a lot of talent young lady." "Thank you," I said, blushing. "Let me take you to see Gold Star, he should be in his office." "I already tried, but the lady at the front desk wouldn't let me see him." "Don't mind her, she did the samething to me when I first started out. C'mon, let's go in," he said opening the door for me. I stepped inside, giving a slight bow as thanks. We approached the lady at the front desk again. She stared at me coldly, "I already told you, no appointment, no business. Now good... Oh Mr.UnRaTeD, so nice to see you. Please don't tell me you know this hellion." "As a matter of fact I do, this is Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon3. She's the young filly I told you about." "Oh my, I'm so sorry Ms. Scratch. Had you said who you were, I would've sent you straight to Mr. Star. My deepest apologies." "'S all good. Just next time, ask before you go all business on somepony," I said, playing it coy. UnRaTeD lead me to the elevator and we went up to Gold Star's office. It was a long way up, about 80 floors. But boy was the view amazing. I looked over at UnRaTeD, with obvious excitement in my eyes. "Never been up this high?" he asked. "No sir Mr. UnRaTeD." "Please call me Neon." I giggles like a young foal. I leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. He leaned into me, pushing his tongue into my mouth. We made out the whole way up. It was enough to leave any filly breathless. We got to the 50th floor when I broke the kiss. "This isn't right," I said, immediately realizing what I had done. "What do you mean?" "Look, Neon, don't get mad, but, I kind of have a marefriend back home." "Oh," he said, a flat expression fixed on his face. "Look, I'm so sorry I just don't know what came over me. I ju-" I started, before feeling his tongue venture into my mouth again. He pulled away, "It's alright, I don't mind dating a girl who already has somepony in her life." I couldn't say or do anything other than lean in again and kiss him once more. "This isn't right," I thought. "I already have a very special somepony back home. I love her with all my heart. Or, maybe I really don't. I mean just look at what I'm doing. I'm in an elevator making out with somepony that I just met. But, it feels so good. Having a stallion actually love me. I've never felt like this before. But, it's wrong to keep going." I pulled away from the kiss, "Look, let's just keep this between us." He just looked at me flatly, " You still thinking about your very special somepony?" "Yeah. Can we just stand here in silence? I need to sort everything out." "Fair enough." The rest of the ride was uneventful. I stood there trying to sort everything in my mind. I love Pinkie Pie, but I love Neon as well. Is it the fact that I'm still young that's making me want love no matter how fast I jump into it? Or is it that I can't keep one relation without starting another? I didn't know. The only thing that was for sure was, this was going to be one complicated love triangle. EpilogueIt is now twenty years after Vinyl and Pinkie's talk. They settled their disputes and got back together. They later married and are living their new life in Fillydelphia where Vinyl is currently working as a DJ in a local night club. Pinkie Pie is living her dream of owning her own candy store. Boombox has grown up and has a family of his own. He married his schoolyard crush, Primrose. Together they have two fillies, Glimmer, and Morning Dew. Neon began to suffer extreme bouts with depression after Vinyl left him. He quit his job at Aftermath and has been in and out of prison since. Vinyl and Pinkie Pie have also adopted their own little colt named Nightlock. A young pegasus who was orphaned at the age of two. Having known what it was like to grow up without her parents she filled out the paperwork to adopt him. He is now fourteen years old and is starting his first year of high school. Saving money from her job, Vinyl was able to buy her mom a new home close to where they live. Vinyl also got her a job at the local watering hole as a bartender. Even though they may not see eye to eye, they get along better than they did years ago. Vinyl's mom also remarried for the second time to her lifelong friend, Game Shark, a stallion who makes a really good living as a game tester. And so, it just goes to show, even those who have an nightmarish past can go on to lead very happy and worthwhile futures. I hope you enjoyed reading Electronic Heart Beat.
Chapter 1: Let the Bass ThumpI was five when I discovered my talent for mixing music. My dad had brought home a DJ booth and was trying to figure out how it worked. I wasn't sure what he was doing, I just sat there and watched. Then he walked away from it madder then hell. I got up from where I was sitting and walked over to the set, admiring every detail of it. I turned it on and began to use my magic to mess with the knobs and switches. The music was amazing before, but it became even greater. I danced around, holding the headphones to my ear and waved my free hoof in the air. My dad walked in with a stunned look on his face. "How did you figure it out?" he asked. "I don't know, I just turned it on and began to mess with the knobs and stuff." "Well, you have a talent for it!" he said, nodding to my backside. I turned and saw it. It was an eigth note right there where there was once nothing. I started to hop up and down with joy. I had finally gotten my cutie mark, and my parents couldn't have been any prouder. Later that year the school had a talent contest. It was too good to resist so I signed up. My friends thought that I was crazy, but I just laughed and rolled my eyes. "You guys are too funny." "Vinyl, you do realize that Glimmer has won the talent contest three years in a row now. And they say she's going to win it this year." "Whatever, I'm gonna show there aint nothing that Vinyl Scratch can't do." "Look if you are serious about this, you're going to need a stage name." "A stage what?" "A stage name, everypony who's in the music biz has one." I couldn't come up with anything at that moment. I started to pace around. I've never been to good with coming up with names. "How about Blasting Speakers?" "Already taken." "DJ Unrated?" "Taken." "I can't think of anything." "Hmm... how about. Um...hmm. I got it, how about DJ Pon3." "Are you sure, it doesn't sound all that good." "Well it's the best I could come up with. Take it or leave it." "Fine, fine. Jeez Octy, do you have to be so pushy?" I practiced as much I could, before bed time of course. But, I was determined to win, no matter what. And so three weeks later, the contest began. I was really nervous, and it was really obvious. "Are you okay, you look paler than usual?" "I'm alright Octy." "Look, just don't think about it, just get up there and make it your own," she said,pushing me onto the stage. "And now, our final act of the night. Put your hooves together for DJ Pon3." The curtains came up, and the applause was making me even more nervous. I looked around for a bit, trying not to pass out. The audience fell quite. I was still standing there. My mind was blank. Out of all the things I could have gotten, stage fright had to be the one for that night. I took a deep breath, shutting the fear out of my mind. I walked up to my booth, turning it on. The music started, and so did I. My magic was hard at work to twist and turn the knobs, flip and flop switches, and to keep me from falling over in fear. After I was done, I felt exhausted. I looked up from the booth. Everypony was completely silent. I looked to the ground in disappointment and began to walk away. Just then, the audience began to grow in ever increasing applause. I turned back to them, giving them a bow and standing there in their admiration. "It seems that we have our winner," said the announcer. "Ladies and gentlecolts, give it up for DJ Pon3!" I was stunned, I had never won anything in my life. I could see the headlines now, "DJ Pon3 Knocks Glimmer Right Out of the Water!". Maybe I was overplaying it in my head, but I didn't care. Because from that day forward, I knew. I knew that DJing was the thing that was going to make me famous. I was the talk of the school for a month, and it had gotten to my head. Everywhere I went, ponies were lining up to do whatever I told them to do. I had six of the smartest ponies doing my homework, I had the most popular colt in school as my coltfriend, and I was always the first to get my lunch. The fame was great, but it didn't last long. The thing about foals is, they can be extremely cruel. I had made the mistake of kissing one mare in the bathroom, and the word got around quicker than Rainbow Dash could fly. I was constantly picked on, beat up, and ran out of school. There were nights when I would cry myself to sleep. I soon became a truant, I would skip school all the time. Only going about once every three or four days. My mom would always blow the roof off yelling at me. And because of it, she saw to it that there was somepony there to keep me from leaving the building. It was a nightmare. But eventually everything died down and things got back to normal. Years had passed and soon I was in high school, and that's when I changed everything about myself. Before I had my signature blue mane and purple shades, I had a plain white mane and kept things like that away from my face. I was never allowed to dye my mane, but I decided that my mom wasn't the boss of me. I was walking home from school one day when I had passed by a hair stylist and decided why not. I walked in and sat down in the chair at the front desk. "Welcome to Lotus Pond, what can we do for you?" asked the mare at the front desk. "I'm looking to get my mane dyed," I replied. "Did you have a color in mind?" "Electric Neon Blue." "Wonderful. The treatment should only take about twenty minutes. Just go through that door over there and I'll be right with you." I walked into the room and sat down. I looked around at everything, there were posters of all kinds of hair styles and colors all over the walls. In the center of the wall I was facing was a giant mirror with pictures of Octy all over it. After she had graduated early, Octy went off to become a famous cello player. It wasn't long before she became the biggest name in the music industry. Everypony who was anypony had at least one of Octy's many albums in their collections. "Okay, time to get started," said the mare as she walked in. She began to work the dye into my mane. "So, how long have you been doing this?" I asked. "About thirteen years. I got to say, you get to see all kinds of hair when you do this for so long." "I'll bet you do. So, have you ever thought about doing anything else?" "Not really, I've always wanted to work on hair ever since I was a little filly. Though I didn't get the hang of it until I was seven. What about you, what's your special talent?" "I'm a DJ. I was five when I found out I could work the tables. I competed in a talent contest at school. I was the winner, beating out Glimmer who had won three years in a row." "That must have been great," she said rinsing the dye off her hooves. "It was, I was the most popular mare in school. That was until word got out that I kissed another mare in the bathroom." "Everypony can be way too judgmental. It doesn't matter if you somepony likes those of the same sex. It's just wrong for ponies to be treated that way," she said, turning the chair around and leaning my head over a sink. "Tell me about it. Just last year I told my friends I was a fillyfooler, and I haven't seen or talked to them since. I told my mom too, but she didn't care. She said I am who I am, and if others don't like it, the they could kiss my flank." That sent us both into laughter. "Well, looks like we're done here. Just dry your mane and use this conditioner to keep the color from fading too quickly. Come back in a few months and we'll do another treatment." I gave her the bits and walked home. "What in Equestria were you thinking?!" asked mom. "I was thinking that I didn't have to listen to you anymore. I'm my own mare." "Vinyl, you raise your voice one more time, and so help me Celestia I will kick you through the wall." "Try it," I said, grinning like there was no tomorrow. She didn't do anything. She turned and walked into her room, leaving me to my own devices. I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Though there was nothing really good on, I just needed something to drown out mom's crying. Three years ago my dad died, and mom's been going through extreme fits of depression ever since. I was depressed about it for the first year, but I came to accept the fact that nothing I did would ever bring him back. Mom remarried a year latter. My brother, Boombox, was born almost a year after she got married. But, soon she filed for divorce and had won the custody fight with my step dad over my brother. With mom the way she was, I was the only one around to take care of my brother. I wouldn't even be surprised if he grew up thinking that I was his real mom. Mom almost always left us alone, going Celestia knows where, and I had to make sure my brother had everything that he needed. Soon after I filled out the forms to drop out of school so I could take care of him. Mom had distanced herself from us and was no longer there. I heard my brother crying in his room. I got up from the couch and went to check on him. He was really cute, with is small face, small limbs, and little unicorn horn. "What's the matter, are you hungry?" I asked softly, picking up him and his bottle with my magical grip. He took the bottle in his grip and began to drink. "Your the only thing I have left in this world. You mean everything to me. I hope someday you grow up to be the best little stallion you can be," I said rocking him back and forth. He just stared at me blankly, still drinking from his battle. I couldn't help but to cry when I looked in his eyes. He tilted his head confused, "Momma?" "Your first word. I'm so proud of you, if only momma were here, she'd get back to her senses and become the mother that she needs to be." "Momma?" he said again. With a tear in my eye, I whispered to him, "That's right, momma's here. And I'm always going to be here for you."
Chapter 2: Hooves Held HighIt had been three weeks since I had ran away from home, taking my little brother with me. I wasn't sure where i was going to go, or how I was going to get there, but all I knew was that I wasn't going to give up until this nightmare was over. With no bits on hoof, I was forced to sell myself to random colts just to get my next meal. It was a horrible life, but it was my life, and I didn't want it anymore. There were nights when I'd lie awake and think about ending it all. But then I would start to think about what might happen to my brother if I wasn't around. I would end up crying myself to sleep over the whole thing. It was an early morning when I woke to the sounds of my brother crying. I got out of bed and walked to his crib, "Shh, it's okay, momma's here." "What's that kid going on about now?!" asked the colt lying in the bed. "He's hungry, I'll take care of him. Just go back to sleep," I said, using my magic to grab my brother's bottle. After about ten minutes, he fell asleep in my hooves. I laid him back in his crib and went back to sleep my self. "Why do you even bother with him in the first place? He's nothing but trouble." "He's my brother. Mom was too far gone into her own little reality to even take care of him. If it wasn't for that, your sorry ass wouldn't have gotten what you did last night." With nothing more to say he went back to sleep. I kept lying there, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what life would be like if mom cared about us anymore. "Mom, Boombox is crying, can you check on him?" I called from down the hall. "Mom? Mom are you even listening. Check on him please, I'm really busy." She didn't answer. She never did anymore. It was if we didn't even exist to her anymore. I got up from the toilet and went to his room. He was screaming his head off for somepony to change him. I grabbed a clean diaper from his baby bag and changed him. "What did you say Vinyl?" mom asked as she entered the room. "It's taken care of now. No thanks to your sorry ass." "Don't you take that tone with me young lady." "Fuck you. For the past few months, me and Boombox have meant nothing to you. You're always off in your own little world, doing Celestia knows what, to even care enough to take some responsibility for your own two kids." "Is that what you think?" "You know damn well that's what I think!" "I work my hooves to the bone trying to keep a roof over your head, food in your stomachs, and clothes on your backs. And this is how you repay me?!" "You lying bitch, you don't do shit for us. You expect me to believe that you care, because I don't. You can fucking die for all I care." Those were the last words I said to her. The next morning, I went to the train station in order to get tickets for me and Boombox to go to Ponyville. "May I help you?" asked the mare behind the counter. "Two tickets to Ponyville please?" "That'll be 150 bits." I handed here the money and got on the train. It was about two days later that we arrived in Ponyville. It was a quite town, everypony knew each other, and nopony judged you for who you were. It was the best place for me to call home. I was walking down the street, gawking at everything I saw. Everything was beautiful. The items at the shops were hand made, the ponies were very friendly, and best of all, I finally felt at home. I walked into this candy store called Sugar Cube Corner to get my little brother something sweet. "Hello dear, what'll it be for you?" asked the mare behind the counter. "Two chocolate chip cookies please?" "That'll be 2 bits. Who's the little guy?" "This is my little brother, Boombox. And I'm Vinyl Scratch," I said handing her the bits and grabbing the cookies. "I'm Mrs. Cake, I own this store, along with my husband." "It must be nice to have a real job," I said with excitement in my eyes. "You don't have a job?" "Well, let's just say that my jobs are only an hour long and not really all that fun." "Goodness, you can't mean..." "Sadly, it's true. My no good mother didn't even care about us. I ran away from home and began to sell myself in order for us to have something to eat. I had finally gotten enough bits to buy us train tickets to get here." "Where are you from?" "Manehatten, not really the whole 'City of Lights' everypony makes it out to be." "It must've been rough." "Tell me about it. Well, I don't want to waste any more of your time. I'll be going." "Now hold on a second. Do you need a place to stay?" "I don't want to be a burden to you." "It's no trouble. And plus, if we can handle Pinkie Pie's little antics, I'm sure you won't be any trouble." "Who's Pinkie Pie?" "She's a young filly who is staying with. She works at the shop as a means of paying us for letting her stay here." "Is she really that much trouble?" "No, no, she's not a bad child. It's just she sometimes goes a little overboard with things." "I think I can handle her. Thanks for the offer, I'll take you up on it." "Wonderful, just go up those stairs and your room will be the first door on the left. You'll be sharing a room with Pinkie." "Thank you." I walked up the stairs. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get a place to stay. I didn't even need to sleep with Mrs. Cake to get it either. I got to my room and pushed open the door, not prepared for what was going to happen next. "Hello, is anypony in here?" "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie. I saw you come in here from the window of my room. Then I thought to myself, 'What could be better than just watching her?' I decided that it was going to be really great to meet you. Now here you are, in my room. Hey, what are you doing in my room anyway? Well, it doesn't matter, you're my friend, and my friends are always welcome in my room. Who's this little guy? He's so cute," she said, grabbing my brother from my hooves. Then her face contorted as she handed him back to me, pinching her nose, "I think somepony needs a diaper change." I just laughed and took him to the bathroom. When I got out, I walked back into our room and handed him back to Pinkie Pie. This was the first time I've ever seen Boombox this happy before. "So, what's his name?" Pinkie asked. "Boombox, and I'm Vinyl Scratch." "It's nice to meet you both. Goochie goochie goo." I gave her a smile, laughing with her. "So, what brings you to my slice of happiness?" I explained to her everything that I went through; how mom didn't care for us, how I ran away from home, selling myself to have a place to stay, and how I ended up staying here. "That had to have been really hard on you." "It was." "Well, no need to worry anymore. You got ol' Pinkie Pie here to look out for you." "Thanks," I said, giving her a hug. I got too into the hug and I ended up giving Pinkie Pie a passionate kiss on the lips. "WOW!" she said in surprise as I pulled away. "I-I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what got into me." "Hey, it's fine. I actually enjoyed it. You have just now become my first kiss." "Look, don't tell anypony. I don't want anypony to know that I'm a fillyfooler." "It's fine, I'm a fillyfooler, and you don't see me getting chased out of town." I laughed. "Vinyl, nopony's going to judge you for who you are. All they care about is that you are comfortable enough with telling them. It shows that you trust them enough to open with them." "Um...Pinkie." "Yes?" "I know that we've only known each other for a little while, but, I feel like there is more than just a friendship connection between us." Pinkie leaned in and gave me another deep kiss. "I feel the same way," she whispered in my ear. We kept kissing the night away. It was the best feeling that I could have ever imagined. This is what true love felt like, and I wasn't about to lode that feeling.
Chapter 3: You're Gonna Go Far Kid"Vinyl, can you and Pinkie help me move these crates into the store, please?" called Mr. Cake. "Sure thing, c'mon Pinkie." It has been three days since I moved into the Cake house. And I've been having the best time in my life. It had been ages since I last felt this kind of happiness. I didn't mind the work. Sure it was hard, but it beat out being in some motel room on my back. They didn't mind me staying. I was a hard working and respectable mare, never complained too much, and kept Pinkie Pie in line. Pinkie and I had grown quite fond of each other. We had a lot in common, our hobbies, taste in music, things to do on a Friday night. We eventually became marefriends, and I couldn't have been happier. She was a lot like me, random, funny, and always down for a party. "Thanks girls, I don't know what I'd do without ya," said Mr. Cake as we got the last of the crates into the store. "It's no trouble Mr. Cake. I'm so really-super-extra excited to help anypony. Isn't that right Vinyl?" "Right," I said, trying to catch my breath. The thing about me and Pinkie is, when we start working, we get competitive. We had a contest to see who could carry the most crates in at one time. She lifted ten of them up without breaking a sweat. I could barely manage five. Remind me to hit the gym later. "I need you girls to do one last thing," Mr. Cake said. "What is it?" Pinkie asked with excitement. "I need you two to take this cake to Sweet Apple Acres for Applejack's birthday party. When that's done, give me a call here and you can have the rest of the day off." "Thanks Mr. Cake," I said, grabbing the cake with my magic. "You are gong to love my friend Applejack, she's sooooo amazing." "What's she like?" "She's a country gal, hard working, honest, and a very dependable friend." "Sounds nice." We arrived at Sweet Apple Acres in no time. I looked around. Apple trees as far as the eye could see. "What is it they do here again?" "They grow apple trees and make some of the most delicious apple treats in all of Equestria." "Well howdy there Pinkie Pie," called a young filly. "Hey there Applebloom." "Who's your friend? Or is she your marefriend?" "Applebloom, I'd like you to meet my marefriend, Vinyl Scratch." "Yo." "Nice to meet you Ms. Scratch." "Please, call me Vinyl. Ms. Scratch makes me sound old." She laughed then looked up giving me a warm smile, "So what brings y'all here?" "Mr. Cake sent us to deliver your sister's birthday cake. Where is she anyway?" Pinkie explained. "She's in town getting some parts for our wagon. The thing lost a wheel again. Well follow me to the barn, you can set the cake down in there." she led us to the barn and we stepped inside, "Just set the cake on the table over yonder." "Pinkie, I'll be right back, I'm gonna go call Mr. Cake." "We don't have a phone here." "Oh?" "Granny says that in her day, they didn't have them fancy technological devices to talk to people." "It's okay Vinyl, you can use my cell," Pinkie said tossing me her phone. I stepped outside and made the call. How it is possible for us to use these things is beyond me. I stepped back in when I finished the call, tossing Pinkie her phone back. "Applebloom, there you are." called a voice from behind me, making me jump out of my skin. "What do you need Granny?" "I need you to go get yer sister, the party starts in an hour. Also I have bed news." "What is it?" "That darned DJ quit on us. Says he has more important things to do." "How are we going to have the party without music?" "Um... if you guys need a DJ, I'm more than willing to help." "You're a DJ?" Applebloom asked in excitement. "Why else would my name be Vinyl Scratch?" "Well, we don't have any money to pay ya with." said the old mare. "It's fine, I'm always happy to help my friends without anything special in return." With that Applebloom rushed off to get her sister, and more party guests were starting to arrive. It was great meeting all these new ponies. The ones that stood out the most were Pinkie's friends, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. It surprised me to find out that Pinkie and her friends are the famous Elements of Harmony. I was star stuck, I began to ask them all kinds of questions. I talked a mile a minute, that was until the big announcement. "QUIET EVERYPONY, SHE'S COMING!" With that, everypony fell silent and hid themselves. The door opened and they stepped in. "SURPRISE!" yelled everypony. "Fer me, y'all shouldn't have." "C'mon eveypony leeeeeeeeeeeeeeet's PAR-TAY!" I dropped a record onto the tables and got into the zone. Everypony was enjoying themselves, even old Granny Smith was dancing her tail off. That was the start of the best music career I could have ever had. Later in the party, a stallion walked up to me. "What's your name sweetheart?" "I'm not into stallions." "That's not why I'm asking, I can assure you." "Well then, I'm Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon3." "I'm Gold Star, owner of the famous Aftermath Records. I saw you DJing and I wanted to know if you wanted a career in show business." "You mean you are the Gold Star. Your record company has my favorite artist in your recruits, DJ UnRaTeD." "Sure do." "Where do I sign?" He pulled out a contract from his briefcase, "Just sign on the dotted line." I took the quill from him and signed my name. "Perfect, send us a demo in two weeks, and we'll take it from there. You're gonna go far kid." With excitement I ran to Pinkie Pie and gave her a kiss. "What's got you in such an excited mood?" "My music career has just got it's kick start." After the party, I went home and began to record my demo album. I called DJ Pon3's Kick Start, go figure. I finished the recording in one week and sent it in. Now all I had to do was wait. Three weeks later, a letter came to me in the mail. "What's it say?" Pinkie asked looking over my shoulder. As I finished reading the letter, I began to hop up and down with joy. "I GOT ACCEPTED TO AFTERMATH RECORDS!" I shouted. "That's great." "What's with all the yelling girls?" asked Mrs. Cake as she and Mr. Cake walked into the room. "Vinyl got a record deal with Aftermath Records." "That's wonderful dear, I'll go bake a cake to celebrate," said Mrs. Cake as she left the room. "Did the letter say anything else?" Pinkie asked. "The only other thing it said was to be in Canterlot by next week." An hour passed and the celebration was on. I got out my equipment and began to play the music from my album. After the party, Pinkie and I had a little "celebration" of our own. And it was the best party out of them all.
Chapter 5: Your New Life Begins Today Sweetheart!Neon and I got off the elevator and walked to Gold Star's office in awkward silence, our gazes occasionally meeting, only to divert back to the floor. This wasn't right, I haven't even been in Canterlot two hours and I've already cheated on Pinkie. But, I've never felt this away about a stallion before. I didn't know what had attracted me to him. Could it have been his deep blue eyes that glistened in the light, or maybe his spiked gold mane that was in perfect contrast to his storm cloud colored coast, or perhaps it was his smile and warm personality. I wasn't for sure what it was, but it was there. "Well here we are," Neon said, as he knocked on the door. "Who is is?" called a voice from inside. "It's UnRaTeD, and I also have young Vinyl here with me." "Come on in, the door's open." Using his magic, Neon opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I blushed and walked in. "Well now, if it isn't the famous DJ Pon3!" Star said, giving my hoof a firm shake. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm famous yet," I said, blushing even brighter from the praise. "You are, everyone in this building has been talking about you non stop. They just love your music." My face was redder than the apples back at Sweet Apple Acres. "Well, lets get down to business, shall we? I want to sign you to this company for three years to start. You will be making about 500K bits each year, plus 55% of all album and merchandise sells. But, there are some things that we require from you." "Such as?" "First off, you must sign a few forms giving us power of attorney, meaning that when it comes to financial decisions we have the final say on it. You must also sign a form stating that we have the rights to anything you produce under contract, and any use if the material after your contract is expired is prohibited by law without our permission. Other than that, there is nothing more." I took a few minutes and thought everything over. I had no idea what half of that meant, but I didn't bother with any of it. There was only one thing left to do, "Where do I sign?" Star grabbed a few form from his desk and sat them on the table, "Just sign on the dotted line here. Initial here, here, and here. And finally sign here." I frantically sign all the forms that he handed me and handed them back to him. "Perfect. I see big things in your future. Your new life begins now Sweetheart." It was about midday when I found myself in an interview room, preparing to make my first out of many television appearances. Today I was going to be interviewed by none other than the famous, Sunlight Flare. I looked around the near empty room nervously. A mare came in and brought me a bottled water to calm me down. "First time for this huh?" she asked. "Yeah." "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just answer the questions honestly, don't be afraid to let people know who you are, not who others want you to be." "Thanks." Just then a stage manager walks into the room, "Your on in one minute Ms. Scratch." "Better start making your way to the stage," said the mare. "I'm still kind of nervous." "Just remember my advise and you'll be fine." With a deep breath I walked to the stage. I could feel my knees shaking like crazy. I took a few more deep breaths before I heard the camera mare call out, "We are live in five, four, three, two." There was ear blasting applause coming from the audience. "Welcome everypony to the Sunlight Flare show. Our first guest is an up and coming music artist from Manehatten. Please put your hooves together for Vinyl Scratch." I took a final deep breath and walked onto the stage. I smiled and waved to the audience as I made my way to my seat. "So, Vinyl, how are you doing today?" "I'm a little nervous. This is my first time on television." "I know how that feels. It may not seem like it, but I'm actually a little nervous myself. So, you're from Manehatten, correct?" "That's right. But, I moved to Ponyville not too long ago." "What was it like in Manehatten." I slumped down in my chair, "Well to be honest, it was a living hell." "How so?" "Well, my mom didn't even care about me or my baby brother, Boombox. She was too far in her own little world to even know that we existed. It eventually got to the point where I couldn't stand it any longer. So I ran away from home, taking my little brother with me. We were living on the streets for a while, with the only source of money coming from me being on my back all day." There was a gasp from the audience. "You mean you sold yourself to have money to take care of yourself and your brother?" "I never planned on doing it, but if I didn't, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I'd be six feet deep, that is if anypony would have cared enough to look for my body. But, anyway. I was saving up some money so my brother and I could move to Ponyville. I got a job with Mr and Mrs. Cake who run the candy store over there. They were even kind enough to take me and my brother into their home. Not a day goes by that I don't think of how kind they were to me, even though they had no clue who I was or didn't even have to. I also met my marefriend Pinkie Pie, who also lives in the Cake's house, as well." "So, you're a fillyfooler?" "Yeah, and I'm not afraid to say it either." The audience exploded with applause. "Anyway, me and Pinkie had a lot in common, so it was no wonder that we ended up together. She is a handful at times, I'm not gonna lie, but I still love her with all my heart. I hope that she's sitting at home now watching this," I said, waving to the camera. "So, what got you into music?" "Well, when I was little my dad brought home a DJ set. He couldn't get it to work right. When he left the room, I began to mess with it, and that's when I discovered my talent for mixing music. Not too long after that, I had my first taste of fame. I competed in the school talent contest. I managed to beat this filly who had won three years in a row. But, the glory didn't last long. Soon after, I had my first schoolyard love. Her name was Scarlet Rose. We were kissing in the bathroom, when there was the flash of a camera coming from a stall. We didn't pay much attention at the time. But soon after, the school paper's cover story was about me and her being fillyfoolers. She ended up leaving me, breaking my heart into nothing more than dust." "That must have been rough on you." "It was a nightmare." "So when did you first get discovered by Gold Star?" "I was DJing at my friend AJ's birthday party. When it was all over he walked up to me and gave me his card. He told me who he was, and I signed an application form. A week later I sent in my demo CD for his approval. Another week later, I got the letter in the mail, and now I'm an official member of the Aftermath family." "Well, I hope everything goes well for you. I expect big things from you." "You wont be disappointed." "Give her one more round of applause." The crowd went wild. I got up from my seat, gave Ms. Flare a quick hug, and walked off into the limelight that I will soon call home.
Chapter 6: When the Lights Go OutNight, inside a club, me on the stage and the music blasting loud. Ponies dancing without care of anything. Time seemed to stop just for me, allowing me to enjoy this moment. I was in the spotlight, enjoying every second of it. My mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and my body was on autopilot. After the show I was met by Neon and Star. I walked up to Neon and gave him a passionate kiss, pulling away with lust in my eyes. Star interrupted us, "You killed it out there. You are the kind of talent that Aftermath is all about!" His phone began to ring, "Hold that thought for a second. Hello." As he walked off Neon pulled me closer and gave me another passionate kiss, "You were amazing. I enjoyed every moment of it." "Thanks baby, I wish you could have been up there with me, it would have made me less-" I began when my phone began to ring. "Pinkie?" "Yeah. Could you?" "It's fine, I'll be right here when you get back." I gave him a quick kiss and ran to the bathroom. I answered the phone, "Hey Pinkie, how are you?" "I'm so super duper happy. You?" "I'm fine, how's my little brother doing?" "He's doing really great, he's playing with the twins right now." "Sounds great." "It is, so how'd the show go?" "It was amazing, everypony was on the dance floor and going wild." "That sounds soooooooo great," she said with a cute giggle. I giggled back, "hey, I have to get back to the hotel. I'll call you later, okay?" "Okay. I love you." My blood began to run cold. With a slight tremble in my voice, I replied, "I love you too." I walked back to where Neon was standing. "Are you okay, you seem kind of distracted?" "It's just-" "You feel like you are betraying her?" I gave a slight nod. He leaned in to give me a kiss, but I put my hoof up, "C-can we just head back to the hotel?" He sighed and cast his gaze to the ground. With a turn of his head he walked out of the building, me following close behind. It was around two in the morning when we got back to the hotel room. I sat on my bed and stared out the window, watching the city fly past in a blur of movement and light. I felt guilty, I was lying to Pinkie about Neon, lying to Neon about how I feel for him, and lying to myself about what I truly want. "Are you sure you're fine?" Neon said as he sat next to me. "I'm fine," I said softly. "Look, if you feel this badly about it, then we can end things between us." I quickly turned to face him, "No! It's just, I'm not exactly sure what I want. I love you a lot, but I also love her. I can't imagine my world without both of you." "Then why keep this charade going? You know that she's going to figure it out one day." "I know, but-" "It's hard for you to except the fact that you can't have one without hurting the other?" I didn't respond. How could I? He's right. I can't have both. But I don't want to lose either one of them. I just turned away and began to stare out the window. I felt Neon's soft lips caress my neck. I just sat there unresponsive. "I'm gonna go to bed," he said softly as he climbed in the bed next to the one I was sitting on. I laid myself back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling, letting sleep take it's hold on me. The next morning I woke to the sounds of Neon singing in the shower. He had a beautiful singing voice, even though this is the first time I've ever heard it. I walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, looking into my reflection. "You're up early," Neon said walking out of the shower. I turned to him, "I didn't sleep very well. By the way, how come you never told me you could sing?" "You heard some of that, huh?" he asked, wrapping himself in a towel. "A little. It was beautiful." He began to blush, "Well, I usually don't sing in front of people. I prefer to let my sound tell the story, not my words." He gave me a kiss as he left the bathroom. I gave him a smile as he hut the door. I turned back to the mirror and began to stare at myself again, seeing all the lies and deceit that has been clouding my mind. I turned away and climbed into the shower, letting the water flow over me. "How is this my life?" I asked myself. "Why do things have to be so hard?" I sat on my haunches and began to cry, the water from the shower hitting me like the rain in a storm. I sat there for about half an hour when Neon walked and turned off the water. I just looked up to him with tear stains on my face. "The only way you're going to get over this, is if you come face to ace with it," he said, extending his hoof. I took a hold of it and he lifted me up, pulling me into his loving embrace. An embrace that reminded me that he will always there for me. Neon and I managed to catch an early train to Ponyville. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Neon asked, before stepping up to the train. "It's the only way," I replied. "You know what this could mean?" "I know, but it's just gonna have to be a risk that I'm gonna have to take," I said as we took our seats. "What if worse comes to worse?" "I don't know. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it." The train began to pull away from the station. "Even if it means loosing somepony that you love?" "It wont be easy." "It never is." "That's just the way life is. You wake up feeling at your best, but then life comes in and throws you a fork in the road. The only thing you have left to do is roll the dice and choose a path." "But what if the path comes to a dead end?" "Turn around and go the other way." "And if the other way doesn't work?" "You've lost the game," I said, staring out the window. We pulled into Ponyville in about an hour. We got off the train and went right to Sugar Cube Corner. I knocked on the door, and Pinkie answered with a huge smile on her face. "Vinyl, what brings you back to town?" she asked, giving me a hug. When she finally let go, I looked her the eye, "Pinkie, we need to talk."
Chapter 7: Homeward Bound"Pinkie we need to talk." "About?" "There's something that I need to tell you, but I just... Can we step inside first? I don't want to make a scene outside." We stepped inside and went to the living room. I sat on the couch and Neon on a chair at the opposite end of the room. Pinkie sat down beside me, handing me my little brother who had the biggest smile on his face. I ran my hoof through his mane a few times and kissed his forehead. "So what did you want to talk about?" I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves for what was about to happen next. "Pinkie, while I was away, I...I..." "You what?" Pinkie said, looking at me with concern. I stared at her, fear filling every inch of my heart. How can I tell her? She was too innocent, and I betrayed her. What kind of a mare am I? I stood up from where I was sitting, gave Boombox back to Pinkie and ran out of the house. I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I couldn't bring myself to hurt her like this. I love her too much to tell her. My mind was clouded with fear, fear of losing the one I love the most, fear that the truth will rip us apart, and fear that the lies will consume me. I found my self huddling under a tree in the Ever Free Forest, letting the tears flood the ground as they fell from my face. You're pathetic, running from your fears when you should be facing them. How can I? I don't want to lose her forever. So you'd rather lose yourself in the lies? The lies are what's keeping me safe. Safe? Your lies are eating away at you from the inside, and you think you are safe? You're only hurting yourself if you let this continue. B-but... NO BUTS! You need to get it together and go tell her the truth. Because if you don't, you WILL lose her forever. Just then I felt something grab my shoulder, causing me to jump. I turned to see who or what it was. Pinkie was standing behind me, looking at me with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, her sweet voice only bringing me more pain. "Pinkie, I-I'm sorry." "For what?" "I'm sorry about all the lies. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt you." "Tell me what?" "I never thought that I could do something so terrible. But, I was too caught up in it all to even think about it." "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm here for you, and I always will be," her kind words were enough to send the sword into my heart. I couldn't respond. There was nothing that I could say that wouldn't hurt her. The tears began to drown me in my suffering, bringing on pain that I never wanted to have. I couldn't run from it anymore, it took a hold of me and it wasn't about to let go. I stood up once more, grabbing Pinkie, holding her close so I wouldn't lose her. She put her hooves around me, stroking my mane a few times to let me know she was still there. My tears fell on her shoulder, turning her coat a darker pink. My gasps rocking my body. I felt Pinkie's lips touch my wet cheek as she tried to comfort me. I broke our hold and wiped the tears from my face, "Pinkie, I'm sorry. I have to tell you now, or else it'll be too late." My gaze cast down to the ground, the words choking me as they came out of my mouth, "I cheated on you!" There it was, out in the open. My breathing was heavy, the world was still, and the silence was never ending. I could her a faint gasp coming from Pinkie, and I knew it was her time to cry. I looked up at her, her body rocking from small gasps, tears making their way to her eyes. I could feel the pain welling up inside of me. "Y-You..." The only thing I could do was cast my gaze back to the ground. I couldn't even face her like this. "How? After everything that we've been through." "I'm sorry," I whispered. She fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face. I sat next to her and put my hoof around her, only to have her push it away. I don't blame her for being mad at me. I know how it feels to be hurt by somepony you love. I just sat there with her as she cried, waiting for for her to stop. "I'm sorry Pinkie. I truly am." She just shook her head. "I understand how you feel." "N-N-No...y-you...d-don't" "I do, I've been where you are." "Y-You don't kn-know w-what it's like t-to h-have your heart sh-shattered by s-s-somepony." I jumped up from the ground, anger replacing my reason, "You think I don't know what it's like? I've had to grow up without even having a mother to care for me. I lived on the streets, selling myself to random stallions to make sure that me and my brother had everything we needed to keep going. And you think I don't know how you feel?" I stood there in shock. I just shouted at her. Her small sobs began to turn themselves into full blown cries, cries of fear, and pain. I sat back down, turning my gaze away from her, "I'm sorry." "J-Just go." I took a deep breath and got up from the ground. I began to walk away, turning back to get one last look at the one I loved most. With a tear in my eye, I left her there. I got back to Sugar Cube Corner an hour later. Neon was standing outside waiting for me. "Did you tell her?" I nodded, not even bringing myself to look into his eyes. "I know it hurts. But, it was either that, or keep lying to her and hurting her worse." I kept my gaze at the ground, tears filling my eyes yet again, staining my face as they fell. Neon walked over to me, I pushed him away, not wanting to have anything more to do with anything. "I know you feel bad right now, but trust me, you did the right thing." Neon and I left for the train station an hour after Pinkie got home. I didn't want to be there as a reminder of the pain I caused her. The walk was slow and painful, the sun setting over the horizon making things more gloomy. When we made it to the station, I stopped walking, letting Neon keep going until he noticed that I wasn't next to him anymore. He turned and stared at me, concern filling his eyes, "What's wrong?" "I think you should go back by yourself." "You've already tried to comfort her. There's nothing more you can do." "That's not it." "Then what is it?" "It's just something I have to handle on my own." "Whatever it is you can tell me." "I can't tell you, you're not a part of this. This is my story and you're not a part of it." He face turned from concern to shock, "So, the Vinyl I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is." He turned away and went on without me. I stood there, watching the train leave without it's last passenger. Once it was gone, I walked to the ticket counter, placing 150 bits in the counter and made my demand, "Manehatten, one way."
Chapter 8: No More Sorrow Part 1I grabbed my ticket from the mare behind the counter and made my way to the train. I turned back and let out a sigh of misery. Casting my gaze down to the ground, I stepped onto the train. I handed my ticket to the stallion in the doorway and took my seat. I looked out the window at the pain filled town I called home. I placed my hoof on the window, finding my faint reflection transform before my eyes. Her face was there, smiling and happy as ever. With a tear running down my cheek, I bid my final farewell to the one I loved,"Goodbye Pinkie, I'm sorry for everything." I looked one more time at her face as it began to fade back into my reflection. The tears began to flood my eyes as I tried to hold them back. But it was no use, they ran down my face and fell onto the floor, pooling themselves into the shape of a broken heart. I sat there in the pain and sorrow, letting the tears pull me into the bottomless void of loneliness. The train rocked back and began it's journey to the darkness I never wanted to see again. I sat there looking out the window in silence, watching the rain form little pools as it landed on the glass. The train was lively; everypony was talking among themselves, soft music was playing in the background, and the atmosphere was on high. I let it all pass by in a blur, letting my mind go blank as her words bounced around my head. "J-Just go." That was the only thing I heard, the only thing I would hear, and the only thing I could hear. "And you think I don't know how you feel." I couldn't shake it. The whole scene was still playing in my mind. "After everything we've been through?" Did I really make the right choice? "I-I'm sorry." "You don't know what it's like to have your heart shattered by somepony you love." "This is my story and you're not a part of it." "The Vinyl that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is." "Just go." I jolted awake and looked around. The train was darkened, the music silenced, and the ponies asleep, save for one. I looked at the window, rain still lingering on the glass. "Why did this have to happen?" I thought. But there was no answer. There never was. I got up from my seat and walked all the way to the last car of the train. It was small and cramped, barely big enough for two or three ponies. I opened the door and stepped out on the outer platform. There was another mare standing on the platform and I walked up beside her. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked, looking out into the fields. "I guess." "I always love the look of nature after a storm." I didn't respond. "I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings." "I'm Vinyl." "You sound like you've got a lot on your mind." "It's nothing." She sat down at the table that was bolted to the platform, patting the seat next to her. I sat down at put my head on the table. "You thirsty?" she asked, pouring two mugs of cider. "I don't drink." "It's non alcoholic." I took the mug, "Thanks." "So what's got you so upset?" I placed my mug on the table, "I did something awful, and now it's cost me the one I love most." "What happened?" I told her how I fell in love with Pinkie, how I fell in love with Neon, and how I lost both of them when I confessed what I had done. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you." "I just got too caught up in the lies. They say that the truth hurts, but they never say how much it costs you." I finished my cider and got up from the table. "Thanks for talking with me, and thanks for the cider." "No problem. If you ever need somepony to talk to, you know where to find me." I went back to my seat and went back to sleep. "Where am I?" There was no answer. "Hello!" I called. There was crying coming from every direction. I followed the direction of the crying, finding a little filly sitting all alone in the darkness. "Who are you?" I asked. She just kept crying. "Are you alright?" She shook her head. "Can you at least tell me your name?" "V-V" I tilted my head, "V-V?" "V-Vinyl." My heart sank, "Why are you crying?" "B-because, I'm all alone. I have nopony to talk to." "You're talking to me." "I'm talking to myself." "It's still somepony to talk to," She just shook her head. Just then, I began to hear Laughter coming from behind me. I turned around and saw a young pink colored filly standing behind me. "Pinkie Pie?" She ignored me and skipped up to me, well, the younger me. She giggled and gave her a cute smile. My younger self smiled back, got up from where she was sitting, and began to hop along with Pinkie. The were really happy; laughing, skipping, and having the time of their young lives. Just then, the ground began to shake. A giant crack opened in the ground between the two fillies, separating them. The crack continued to open itself in my direction. I ran to avoid it, but it was faster than I was. The ground gaped beneath me, and I fell in. I jolted away again. Looking around, I noticed that everypony was getting up from their seats. "Final stop, Manehatten," said a voice over the intercom. I grabbed my things and got off the train. I was back in Manehatten, my home town that was filled with pain and misery. I walked to a phone both and flipped through the phone book. Once I found the number, I placed one bit into the phone and dialed. "We're sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please hang up and try your call again." I slammed the phone, cursing under my breath. With nothing better to do, I began to wonder aimlessly around the city. Everyplace I went, I'd get the occasional whistle or smack on my flank from the stallions I used to service for food. I ignored them and kept walking. I found myself walking into the local diner and sitting at a both. "Can I get you anything?" asked the waitress. "Just some coffee." "Anything else?" "No thank you." She walked away and brought me back a small cup of coffee. I gave her two bits and began sipping on the only bit of warmth that I'll ever know in this city. I was staring out the window, taking in the sight of the city that I used to call home. The buildings were still the same as they've always been, the streets as crowded as usual, and ponies busier than they'll ever be. Just then, a mysterious mare sat at my both right across from me. I turned to see who it was. My face went from a look of deep thought to a look of extreme joy. "Are you surprised to see me?" asked the mare. "More than you'll ever know."
Chapter 9: No More Sorrow Part 2She smiled at me as she took her seat.I forced a smile back, hoping it wasn't obvious that something was wrong. "So what brings you back to Manehatten?" she asked. I looked down at my cup of coffee, stirring it with my spoon a few times. I took a deep breath, "I've just had a lot on my mind." "Things not going well with your music career?" I forced a slight laugh, "No, nothing like that." I looked back up to meet her gaze. She seemed to be picking up on the fact that something was wrong. That's the thing about Octy, you can never get anything passed her. I turned my gaze to what was going on outside. "If you don't want to tell me what's wrong, that's fine. I just want you to know that I'm here for you," she put her hoof on my reassuringly. I pulled my hoof away the moment hers made contact. She looked at me as if she'd hurt me, then she cast her gaze to the table apologetically. I wanted to say I was sorry, but couldn't bring those words to the surface. They would always bring back that painful memory. "I'm sorry." "You don't know what it's like to have your heart smashed by somepony you love." "J-Just go." "So, the Vinyl that I know is long gone. Fine, I see how it is." "You think I don't know how you feel." "J-Just go." "I'm sorry." "This is my story and you're not a part of it." "JUST GO!!" "Vinyl?" I jolted back to reality, whipping my head back and forth to see where I was. "Vinyl, are you sure you're alright?" I stared at her, the empty feeling of sorrow filling my heart. I got up from the table and left the diner. I began to wonder the streets aimlessly once again. I never planned to far ahead on anything. I continued to walk for what seemed like hours, until I bumped into somepony, falling to the ground. "Watch where your.........Vinyl?" said an all to familiar voice. I rubbed my head and looked up and the scruffy old mare, "Mom?" "It is you. I've been so worried about you and your brother so much." I rolled my eyes, "Like I'm supposed to believe you actually cared about us for a single second." She looked grimly to the ground, "You know I care about both of you. Why wont you believe that?" "Maybe because you were always off in your own little fantasy world while I fought to provide my brother with everything he needed." "You're still on that. I was out looking for a job so I could manage to keep both of you. You have no idea what it's like to be a single mother." "The hell I don't. I had to literally put my ass on the line so he wouldn't starve to death. You don't know how many hours I've spent laying back for some random stallion just to keep us alive. And where were you, off in some little world that will never exist. Face it mom, you've lost us. And we are doing far better off without you." As I turned to leave her where she stood, I was stopped by the sounds of her small sobs. I turned back around to find my mom sitting against a wall, her body shaking hard while she tried to hold back her tears. I began to feel guilty about what I had just done. It's bad enough I lost the mare I loved, but it's even worse to lose your family. I sat next to her and put me hoof around her shoulders. I pulled her closer to me, allowing her tears to fall on my shoulder. I stoked her mane and kissed her forehead, letting her know that I was still there. As I sat there, I began to think of what Pinkie looked like after I told her about what I did. My heart began to sink, and my stomach began to tighten with fear. "I'm sorry mom. I never meant to make you worry so much. I just thought that you didn't love us anymore." "Vinyl, you know I love you and your brother a lot. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I just had all kinds of things weighing me down and I didn't want to burden you with them." "Believe me, I know how you feel. I'm going through a lot of things right now." She looked up at me with a concerned and questioning look on her face. "Mom, when I ran away, I went to Ponyville. While I was there I met this mare named Pinkie Pie. She and I eventually became marefriends. While I was at her friends birthday party, the owner of Aftermath Records gave his card. Not long after I was accepted to be a part of their little family. Soon after I met this stallion named Neon. I eventually ended up with him too. Soon after I told Pinkie Pie about me and Neon. I've been dealing with the fact that I lost the one I loved ever since." My mom didn't say anything. "I came back here to try to clear my head, and hopefully set things right with her. But, so far, all I've done is make things worse." My mom got up form the ground, "Vinyl, you're still young. You have plenty of time to make things right. It's too late for me. I've lost the house, you and your brother, and damn near every bit to my name. I know you may not love me anymore. But I want you to know, that no matter what you do, just be who you are and nothing will be able to stop you." She extended her hoof to help me up. I grabbed it and pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her hooves around me as I began to cry on her shoulder. As she let loose on our embrace, she looked at me with a smile in her face, and a tear in her eye. "I love you mom." "I love you too." "I think I know what I need to do." "I just hope you set things right," "I will," I said as I let her go. "And mom..." She looked at me one last time. "I hope things turn out well for you." She smiled at me as I began to make my way back to the train station. I arrived with barely enough time to buy a ticket back to Ponyville and board the train. I looked out at the city I used to call home, this time with hope filled eye. As we pulled away from the station, I announced to myself, "I'm coming home."
Chapter 10: Making AmendsI made it back to Ponyville the next morning, hoping that she would still be there. I got off the train and grabbed my luggage and ran off to Sugar Cube Corner. I had to get there before it was too late. I had to tell her that it was all my fault, and that I still want to be with her and only her. I made it to Sugar Cube Corner in no time. I took a few minutes to catch my breathe outside and walked in. I was greeted by a not so welcome wagon. Pinkie Pie and her friends were standing in the middle of the shop staring at me with cold and deadly eyes. I looked to the ground to avoid their gazes, hoping they wouldn't notice me anymore. "What are you doing back here?" shouted Rainbow Dash. I didn't answer. I didn't come here to talk with them, I just wanted to talk to Pinkie Pie. "Well? Are you just gonna stand there and ignore me, or are you gonna tell me why you're back?" she shouted, a bit louder this time. I looked her in the eyes, "I didn't come here to talk to you." "Did you come here to cause more pain?" asked Rarity in a harsh tone. "I just came here to talk to Pinkie Pie. Is that really to much to ask?" I said, half choking down a slight sob. "She doesn't want to talk to you. Not after what you did to her!" shouted Applejack. I just stood there holding back my tears, "I just want to talk, I'm not here to start anything with anypony." "It's a little to late to say that you don't want to start anything," Fluttershy said, using a slightly harsher tone than she wanted. I didn't have anything left to say to them. Nothing I could say would convince them that I want to settle our issue. I let out a sigh and grabbed my bags, leaving the shop with nothing more to say. I began to walk around the streets of Ponyville hoping to find an escape from everything. I found myself crossing the highest bridge in Ponyville over looking the small town below. The world seemed so much smaller from up here. I leaned on the side of the bridge and stared down to the small town. I stood there for what felt like hours until I heard somepony coming up behind me. I turned to see who it was, and to my surprise, it was Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, what are you doing here?" I asked, half hoping I wasn't imagining this. "I came up here to talk to you," she replied, an emotionless expression on her face. She leaned on the edge of the bridge next to me. I put my hoof around her, only to have it taken off my her. I really don't blame her for not wanting me to try to comfort her. We continued to stare off into the distance in an on going awkward silence. Our gazes occasionally met, only to divert back to the town. Even though there weren't any words, we both knew what was on each other's minds. I turned to look at her, "It's all my fault. I never meant for any of this to happen. I just got so caught up in everything that I didn't take the time to think things through." "Then why do it? If you can't think about the consequences, then why bother with the action itself?" I looked back to the town below, "I honestly don't know. If I could go back and take it all away I would." "I know you would. But what's done is done and cannot be changed." "Not a moment goes by that I don't think about what I did, and how much pain it caused you. And every moment I hope that I can make things right, but I know that nothing I do will make you forgive me," I could feel the tears streaming down my cheek. Pinkie turned to face me, "It's not that I don't want to forgive you. It's just hard to do so after you've lost my trust. I want to make things right as much as you do. But, you've got to show me that you're willing to so your part in all this." I looked at her, tears staining my face as they drop to the ground. There were no words anymore, there was only actions. I gave Pinkie Pie a nod to show that I understood what she said, and was willing to do whatever it took to get her back. "It'll be a long time before you fully earn my trust back, you know that right?" I gave her another nod. She gave me a light smile and wiped my tears away, "I do forgive you for what you did, but you have to promise me that you are going to do your part in making this right. You promise?" "I promise." She gave me a bright smile, "Let's go home." I picked my bags up off the ground and followed her to the small town that will forever be our home.
Chapter 4: Bright Lights Big City"Mom, I'm home," I called as I entered our house. "Mom, you here? Hello?" I looked on the kitchen counter. There was a note, addressed to me no less. "Vinyl, I'm gonna be gone for a couple of days. Here's 200 bits and a list of things that need to be done. I'll be home soon. Take care of your brother while I'm gone. With lots of love, Mom P.S: There's some leftovers from last night in the fridge if you're hungry," "That's all I ever do, even when you're dumb ass is home," I said, completely ignoring the post script. I heated up the food and ate in silence. Why does mom always have to do this? She takes off and doesn't come back for a week. I hate her. I wish she would just die. My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of my brother crying from his room. I got up, leaving my food untouched. I walked into his room and got him out of his crib. "Shh, it's going to be okay. Mommy's here," I said, calming him down. He looked up at me and smiled. I began to cry, hold him in my hooves. I stood there crying until my eyes were hurting. Then came his soft innocent voice. "Momma, don't cry." It only made me cry even more. I woke up, still on the train to Canterlot. It was just a dream. I had left from Ponyville an hour before. "Pinkie Pie, I want you to look after my brother while I'm away," I said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I'll do my best," she said with a smile. "I don't know how long I'm gonna be gone, but I'll make sure to write every day." With that and one last kiss to her and my brother, I grabbed my things and got on the train. I waved goodbye as the train was pulling out of the station. Pinkie Pie trotting along, trying to keep up until she reached the end of the platform. I began to get tears in my eyes as I left. "Well Vinyl, this is the first step to reaching your dreams," I thought to myself. We arrived in Canterlot shortly after I woke. I got off the train and set my things down on the platform and took a look around. Canterlot has always been a beautiful city. The streets paved with gold, buildings that shined brighter than diamonds. In the distance stood the castle of Princess Celestia herself. A wonderful sight "Excuse me," I said, tapping a stallion on the shoulder. He took a look at me and turned his nose up, "May I help you?" "Do you know how I might be able to get to Aftermath Records?" He pointed to a small kiosk that had maps of the city on it. I looked at him and shrugged. Stuck up much? I grabbed one of the maps and made my way to Aftermath. It didn't take long for me to get to the studio. I stood at the door for a few seconds, taking in the sight. It wasn't as big as some the buildings in Manehatten, but it was amazing. It was painted red and gold, on each side stood the logo in shinning silver letters. I walked in the door and up to the front desk. "Excuse me miss," I said. "Yes?" "I'm looking for Gold Star, where might I be able to find him?" "Do you have an appointment?" "A what?" "An appointment." "No." "No appointment, no business. Have a nice day." "You don't understand, I sent him my demo CD a little while ago. Not long after I got a letter telling me to be here by today." "How lovely, now get out." I stormed out of the building, smacking my flank and sticking my tongue out at the lady at the front desk. She didn't react, other than just start typing away at her computer. I sat outside the building with nothing better to do. Minutes began to feel like hours., hours like days, days like weeks, weeks like...Well you get the idea. I waited outside that building for about an hour when a limo pulled up. The window rolled down, and the stallion behind glanced at me from behind his shades. "Are you Vinyl?" he asked. "Yes sir." "Welcome to Aftermath Records," he said stepping out of the car. "My name is Neon, but most ponies call me, DJ UnRaTeD." I began to get star struck. "Gold Star handed me your CD after he listened to it. I've got to say, you have a lot of talent young lady." "Thank you," I said, blushing. "Let me take you to see Gold Star, he should be in his office." "I already tried, but the lady at the front desk wouldn't let me see him." "Don't mind her, she did the samething to me when I first started out. C'mon, let's go in," he said opening the door for me. I stepped inside, giving a slight bow as thanks. We approached the lady at the front desk again. She stared at me coldly, "I already told you, no appointment, no business. Now good... Oh Mr.UnRaTeD, so nice to see you. Please don't tell me you know this hellion." "As a matter of fact I do, this is Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon3. She's the young filly I told you about." "Oh my, I'm so sorry Ms. Scratch. Had you said who you were, I would've sent you straight to Mr. Star. My deepest apologies." "'S all good. Just next time, ask before you go all business on somepony," I said, playing it coy. UnRaTeD lead me to the elevator and we went up to Gold Star's office. It was a long way up, about 80 floors. But boy was the view amazing. I looked over at UnRaTeD, with obvious excitement in my eyes. "Never been up this high?" he asked. "No sir Mr. UnRaTeD." "Please call me Neon." I giggles like a young foal. I leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. He leaned into me, pushing his tongue into my mouth. We made out the whole way up. It was enough to leave any filly breathless. We got to the 50th floor when I broke the kiss. "This isn't right," I said, immediately realizing what I had done. "What do you mean?" "Look, Neon, don't get mad, but, I kind of have a marefriend back home." "Oh," he said, a flat expression fixed on his face. "Look, I'm so sorry I just don't know what came over me. I ju-" I started, before feeling his tongue venture into my mouth again. He pulled away, "It's alright, I don't mind dating a girl who already has somepony in her life." I couldn't say or do anything other than lean in again and kiss him once more. "This isn't right," I thought. "I already have a very special somepony back home. I love her with all my heart. Or, maybe I really don't. I mean just look at what I'm doing. I'm in an elevator making out with somepony that I just met. But, it feels so good. Having a stallion actually love me. I've never felt like this before. But, it's wrong to keep going." I pulled away from the kiss, "Look, let's just keep this between us." He just looked at me flatly, " You still thinking about your very special somepony?" "Yeah. Can we just stand here in silence? I need to sort everything out." "Fair enough." The rest of the ride was uneventful. I stood there trying to sort everything in my mind. I love Pinkie Pie, but I love Neon as well. Is it the fact that I'm still young that's making me want love no matter how fast I jump into it? Or is it that I can't keep one relation without starting another? I didn't know. The only thing that was for sure was, this was going to be one complicated love triangle.
EpilogueIt is now twenty years after Vinyl and Pinkie's talk. They settled their disputes and got back together. They later married and are living their new life in Fillydelphia where Vinyl is currently working as a DJ in a local night club. Pinkie Pie is living her dream of owning her own candy store. Boombox has grown up and has a family of his own. He married his schoolyard crush, Primrose. Together they have two fillies, Glimmer, and Morning Dew. Neon began to suffer extreme bouts with depression after Vinyl left him. He quit his job at Aftermath and has been in and out of prison since. Vinyl and Pinkie Pie have also adopted their own little colt named Nightlock. A young pegasus who was orphaned at the age of two. Having known what it was like to grow up without her parents she filled out the paperwork to adopt him. He is now fourteen years old and is starting his first year of high school. Saving money from her job, Vinyl was able to buy her mom a new home close to where they live. Vinyl also got her a job at the local watering hole as a bartender. Even though they may not see eye to eye, they get along better than they did years ago. Vinyl's mom also remarried for the second time to her lifelong friend, Game Shark, a stallion who makes a really good living as a game tester. And so, it just goes to show, even those who have an nightmarish past can go on to lead very happy and worthwhile futures. I hope you enjoyed reading Electronic Heart Beat.
